WorldWideScience

Sample records for low-degree mantle melts

  1. Evolved Rocks in Ocean Islands Formed by Melting of Metasomatized Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashwal, L. D.; Torsvik, T. H.; Horvath, P.; Harris, C.; Webb, S. J.; Werner, S. C.; Corfu, F.

    2015-12-01

    Evolved rocks like trachyte occur as minor components of many plume-related basaltic ocean islands (e.g. Hawaii, Gran Canaria, Azores, Réunion), and are typically interpreted as products of extreme fractional crystallization from broadly basaltic magmas. Trachytes from Mauritius (Indian Ocean) suggest otherwise. Here, 6.8 Ma nepheline-bearing trachytes (SiO2 ~63%, Na2O + K2O ~12%) are enriched in all incompatible elements except Ba, Sr and Eu, which show prominent negative anomalies. Initial eNd values cluster at 4.03 ± 0.15 (n = 13), near the lower end of the range for Mauritian basalts (eNd = 3.70 - 5.75), but initial Sr is highly variable (ISr = 0.70408 - 0.71034) suggesting secondary deuteric alteration. Fractional crystallization models starting with a basaltic parent fail, because when plagioclase joins olivine in the crystallizing assemblage, residual liquids become depleted in Al2O3, produce no nepheline, and do not approach trachytic compositions. Mauritian basalts and trachytes do not fall near the ends of known miscibility gaps, eliminating liquid immiscibility processes. Partial melting of extant gabbroic bodies, either from the oceanic crust or from Réunion plume-related magmas should yield quartz-saturated melts different from the critically undersaturated Mauritian trachytes. A remaining possibility is that the trachytes represent direct, small-degree partial melts of fertile, perhaps metasomatized mantle. This is supported by the presence of trachytic glasses in many mantle xenoliths, and experimental results show that low-degree trachytic melts can be produced from mantle peridotites even under anhydrous conditions. If some feldspar is left behind as a residual phase, this would account for the negative Ba, Sr and Eu anomalies observed in Mauritian trachytes. Two trachyte samples that are less depleted in these elements contain xenocrysts of anorthoclase, Al-rich cpx and Cl-rich kaersutite that are out of equilibrium with host trachyte magmas

  2. Mantle melting and melt refertilization beneath the Southwest Indian Ridge: Mineral composition of abyssal peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ling; Zhu, Jihao; Chu, Fengyou; Dong, Yan-hui; Liu, Jiqiang; Li, Zhenggang; Zhu, Zhimin; Tang, Limei

    2017-04-01

    As one of the slowest spreading ridges of the global ocean ridge system, the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is characterized by discontinued magmatism. The 53°E segment between the Gallieni fracture zone (FZ) (52°20'E) and the Gazelle FZ (53°30'E) is a typical amagmatic segment (crustal thickness 1cm) Opx, and Mg-rich mineral compositions akin to harzburgite xenoliths that sample old continental lithospheric mantle (Kelemen et al., 1998). Melt refertilization model shows that Group 2 peridotites were affected by an enriched low-degree partial melt from the garnet stability field. These results indicate that depleted mantle which experiences ancient melting event are more sensitive to melt refertilization, thus may reduce the melt flux, leading to extremely thin crust at 53°E segment. This research was granted by the National Basic Research Programme of China (973 programme) (grant No. 2013CB429705) and the Fundamental Research Funds of Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration (JG1603, SZ1507). References: Johnson K T M, Dick H J B, Shimizu N. Melting in the oceanic upper mantle: An ion microprobe study of diopsides in abyssal peridotites[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1990, 95(B3):2661-2678. Kelemen P B, Hart S R, Bernstein S. Silica enrichment in the continental upper mantle via melt/rock reaction[J]. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 1998, 164(1-2):387-406. Zhou H, Dick H J. Thin crust as evidence for depleted mantle supporting the Marion Rise.[J]. Nature, 2013, 494(7436):195-200.

  3. Depth and degree of melting of komatiites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herzberg, Claude

    1992-04-01

    High pressure melting experiments have permitted new constraints to be placed on the depth and degree of partial melting of komatiites. Komatiites from Gorgona Island were formed by relatively low degrees of pseudoinvariant melting involving L + Ol + Opx + Cpx + Gt on the solidus at 40 kbar, about 130 km depth. Munro-type komatiites were separated from a harzburgite residue (L + Ol + Opx) at pressures that were poorly constrained, but were probably around 50 kbar, about 165 km depth; the degree of partial melting was less than 40 percent. Secular variations in the geochemistry of komatiites could have formed in response to a reduction in the temperature and pressure of melting with time. The 3.5 Ga Barberton komatiites and the 2.7 Ga Munro-type komatiities could have formed in plumes that were hotter than the present-day mantle by 500 deg and 300 deg, respectively. When excess temperatures are this size, melting is deeper and volcanism changes from basaltic to momatiitic. The komatiities from Gorgona Island, which are Mesozoic in age, may be representative of komatiities that are predicted to occur in oceanic plateaus of Cretaceous age throughout the Pacific (Storey et al., 1991).

  4. Eutectic melting temperature of the lowermost Earth's mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrault, D.; Lo Nigro, G.; Bolfan-Casanova, N.; Bouhifd, M.; Garbarino, G.; Mezouar, M.

    2009-12-01

    Partial melting of the Earth's deep mantle probably occurred at different stages of its formation as a consequence of meteoritic impacts and seismology suggests that it even continues today at the core-mantle boundary. Melts are important because they dominate the chemical evolution of the different Earth's reservoirs and more generally the dynamics of the whole planet. Unfortunately, the most critical parameter, that is the temperature profile inside the deep Earth, remains poorly constrained accross the planet history. Experimental investigations of the melting properties of materials representative of the deep Earth at relevant P-T conditions can provide anchor points to refine past and present temperature profiles and consequently determine the degree of melting at the different geological periods. Previous works report melting relations in the uppermost lower mantle region, using the multi-anvil press [1,2]. On the other hand, the pyrolite solidus was determined up to 65 GPa using optical observations in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LH-DAC) [3]. Finally, the melting temperature of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 olivine is documented at core-mantle boundary (CMB) conditions by shock wave experiments [4]. Solely based on these reports, experimental data remain too sparse to draw a definite melting curve for the lower mantle in the relevant 25-135 GPa pressure range. We reinvestigated melting properties of lower mantle materials by means of in-situ angle dispersive X-ray diffraction measurements in the LH-DAC at the ESRF [5]. Experiments were performed in an extended P-T range for two starting materials: forsterite and a glass with chondrite composition. In both cases, the aim was to determine the onset of melting, and thus the eutectic melting temperatures as a function of pressure. Melting was evidenced from drastic changes of diffraction peak shape on the image plate, major changes in diffraction intensities in the integrated pattern, disappearance of diffraction rings

  5. Two-component mantle melting-mixing model for the generation of mid-ocean ridge basalts: Implications for the volatile content of the Pacific upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Kei; Saal, Alberto E.; Myers, Corinne E.; Nagle, Ashley N.; Hauri, Erik H.; Forsyth, Donald W.; Kamenetsky, Vadim S.; Niu, Yaoling

    2016-03-01

    We report major, trace, and volatile element (CO2, H2O, F, Cl, S) contents and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) glasses from the Northern East Pacific Rise (NEPR) off-axis seamounts, the Quebrada-Discovery-GoFar (QDG) transform fault system, and the Macquarie Island. The incompatible trace element (ITE) contents of the samples range from highly depleted (DMORB, Th/La ⩽ 0.035) to enriched (EMORB, Th/La ⩾ 0.07), and the isotopic composition spans the entire range observed in EPR MORB. Our data suggest that at the time of melt generation, the source that generated the EMORB was essentially peridotitic, and that the composition of NMORB might not represent melting of a single upper mantle source (DMM), but rather mixing of melts from a two-component mantle (depleted and enriched DMM or D-DMM and E-DMM, respectively). After filtering the volatile element data for secondary processes (degassing, sulfide saturation, assimilation of seawater-derived component, and fractional crystallization), we use the volatiles to ITE ratios of our samples and a two-component mantle melting-mixing model to estimate the volatile content of the D-DMM (CO2 = 22 ppm, H2O = 59 ppm, F = 8 ppm, Cl = 0.4 ppm, and S = 100 ppm) and the E-DMM (CO2 = 990 ppm, H2O = 660 ppm, F = 31 ppm, Cl = 22 ppm, and S = 165 ppm). Our two-component mantle melting-mixing model reproduces the kernel density estimates (KDE) of Th/La and 143Nd/144Nd ratios for our samples and for EPR axial MORB compiled from the literature. This model suggests that: (1) 78% of the Pacific upper mantle is highly depleted (D-DMM) while 22% is enriched (E-DMM) in volatile and refractory ITE, (2) the melts produced during variable degrees of melting of the E-DMM controls most of the MORB geochemical variation, and (3) a fraction (∼65% to 80%) of the low degree EMORB melts (produced by ∼1.3% melting) may escape melt aggregation by freezing at the base of the oceanic lithosphere, significantly enriching it in

  6. Dynamics of upper mantle rocks decompression melting above hot spots under continental plates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perepechko, Yury; Sorokin, Konstantin; Sharapov, Victor

    2014-05-01

    Numeric 2D simulation of the decompression melting above the hot spots (HS) was accomplished under the following conditions: initial temperature within crust mantle section was postulated; thickness of the metasomatized lithospheric mantle is determined by the mantle rheology and position of upper asthenosphere boundary; upper and lower boundaries were postulated to be not permeable and the condition for adhesion and the distribution of temperature (1400-2050°C); lateral boundaries imitated infinity of layer. Sizes and distribution of lateral points, their symmetry, and maximum temperature varied between the thermodynamic condition for existences of perovskite - majorite transition and its excess above transition temperature. Problem was solved numerically a cell-vertex finite volume method for thermo hydrodynamic problems. For increasing convergence of iterative process the method of lower relaxation with different value of relaxation parameter for each equation was used. The method of through calculation was used for the increase in the computing rate for the two-layered upper mantle - lithosphere system. Calculated region was selected as 700 x (2100-4900) km. The time step for the study of the asthenosphere dynamics composed 0.15-0.65 Ma. The following factors controlling the sizes and melting degree of the convective upper mantle, are shown: a) the initial temperature distribution along the section of upper mantleb) sizes and the symmetry of HS, c) temperature excess within the HS above the temperature on the upper and lower mantle border TB=1500-2000oC with 5-15% deviation but not exceed 2350oC. It is found, that appearance of decompression melting with HS presence initiate primitive mantle melting at TB > of 1600oC. Initial upper mantle heating influence on asthenolens dimensions with a constant HS size is controlled mainly by decompression melting degree. Thus, with lateral sizes of HS = 400 km the decompression melting appears at TB > 1600oC and HS

  7. Archaean ultra-depleted komatiites formed by hydrous melting of cratonic mantle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, A H; Shirey, S B; Carlson, R W

    2003-06-19

    Komatiites are ultramafic volcanic rocks containing more than 18 per cent MgO (ref. 1) that erupted mainly in the Archaean era (more than 2.5 gigayears ago). Although such compositions occur in later periods of Earth history (for example, the Cretaceous komatiites of Gorgona Island), the more recent examples tend to have lower MgO content than their Archaean equivalents. Komatiites are also characterized by their low incompatible-element content, which is most consistent with their generation by high degrees of partial melting (30-50 per cent). Current models for komatiite genesis include the melting of rock at great depth in plumes of hot, diapirically rising mantle or the melting of relatively shallow mantle rocks at less extreme, but still high, temperatures caused by fluxing with water. Here we report a suite of ultramafic lava flows from the Commondale greenstone belt, in the southern part of the Kaapvaal Craton, which represents a previously unrecognized type of komatiite with exceptionally high forsterite content of its igneous olivines, low TiO(2)/Al(2)O(3) ratio, high silica content, extreme depletion in rare-earth elements and low Re/Os ratio. We suggest a model for their formation in which a garnet-enriched residue left by earlier cratonic volcanism was melted by hydration from a subducting slab.

  8. The temperature of primary melts and mantle sources of komatiites, OIBs, MORBs and LIPs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobolev, Alexander

    2015-04-01

    There is general agreement that the convecting mantle, although mostly peridotitic in composition, is compositionally and thermally heterogeneous on different spatial scales. The amount, sizes, temperatures and compositions of these heterogeneities significantly affect mantle dynamics because they may diverge greatly from dominant peridotites in their density and fusibility. Differences in potential temperature and composition of mantle domains affect magma production and cannot be easily distinguished from each other. This has led to radically different interpretations of the melting anomalies that produce ocean-island basalts, large igneous provinces and komatiites: most scientists believe that they originate as hot, deep-sourced mantle plumes; but a small though influential group (e.g. Anderson 2005, Foulger, 2010) propose that they derive from high proportions of easily fusible recycled or delaminated crust, or in the case of komatiites contain large amount of H2O (e.g. Grove & Parman, 2004). The way to resolve this ambiguity is an independent estimation of temperature and composition of mantle sources of various types of magma. In this paper I report application of newly developed olivine-spinel-melt geothermometers based on partition of Al, Cr, Sc and Y for different primitive lavas from mid-ocean ridges, ocean-island basalts, large igneous provinces and komatiites. The results suggest significant variations of crystallization temperature for the same Fo of high magnesium olivines of different types of mantle-derived magmas: from the lowest (down to 1220 degree C) for MORB to the highest (up to over 1500 degree C) for komatiites and Siberian meimechites. These results match predictions from Fe-Mg olivine-melt equilibrium and confirm the relatively low temperature of the mantle source of MORB and higher temperatures in the mantle plumes that produce the OIB of Iceland, Hawaii, Gorgona, Archean komatiites and several LIPs (e.g Siberian and NAMP). The

  9. Petrological Geodynamics of Mantle Melting II. AlphaMELTS + Multiphase Flow: Dynamic Fractional Melting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tirone, Massimiliano

    2018-03-01

    In this second installment of a series that aims to investigate the dynamic interaction between the composition and abundance of the solid mantle and its melt products, the classic interpretation of fractional melting is extended to account for the dynamic nature of the process. A multiphase numerical flow model is coupled with the program AlphaMELTS, which provides at the moment possibly the most accurate petrological description of melting based on thermodynamic principles. The conceptual idea of this study is based on a description of the melting process taking place along a 1-D vertical ideal column where chemical equilibrium is assumed to apply in two local sub-systems separately on some spatial and temporal scale. The solid mantle belongs to a local sub-system (ss1) that does not interact chemically with the melt reservoir which forms a second sub-system (ss2). The local melt products are transferred in the melt sub-system ss2 where the melt phase eventually can also crystallize into a different solid assemblage and will evolve dynamically. The main difference with the usual interpretation of fractional melting is that melt is not arbitrarily and instantaneously extracted from the mantle, but instead remains a dynamic component of the model, hence the process is named dynamic fractional melting (DFM). Some of the conditions that may affect the DFM model are investigated in this study, in particular the effect of temperature, mantle velocity at the boundary of the mantle column. A comparison is made with the dynamic equilibrium melting (DEM) model discussed in the first installment. The implications of assuming passive flow or active flow are also considered to some extent. Complete data files of most of the DFM simulations, four animations and two new DEM simulations (passive/active flow) are available following the instructions in the supplementary material.

  10. Extreme incompatibility of helium during mantle melting: Evidence from undegassed mid-ocean ridge basalts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, David W.; Michael, Peter J.; Shea, Thomas

    2016-11-01

    We report total helium concentrations (vesicles + glass) for a suite of thirteen ultradepleted mid-ocean ridge basalts (UD-MORBs) that were previously studied for volatile contents (CO2, H2O) plus major and trace elements. The selected basalts are undersaturated in CO2 + H2O at their depths of eruption and represent rare cases of undegassed MORBs. Sample localities from the Atlantic (2), Indian (1) and Pacific (7) Oceans collectively show excellent linear correlations (r2 = 0.75- 0.92) between the concentrations of helium and the highly incompatible elements C, K, Rb, Ba, Nb, Th and U. Three basalts from Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic were also studied but show anomalous behavior marked by excess lithophile trace element abundances. In the Atlantic-Pacific-Indian suite, incompatible element concentrations vary by factors of 3-4.3, while helium concentration varies by a factor of 13. The strong correlations between the concentrations of helium and incompatible elements are explained by helium behavior as the most incompatible element during mantle melting. Partial melting of an ultradepleted mantle source, formed as a residue of earlier melt extraction, accounts for the observed concentrations. The earlier melting event involved removal of a small degree melt (∼1%) at low but non-zero porosity (0.01-0.5%), leading to a small amount of melt retention that strongly leveraged the incompatible element budget of the ultradepleted mantle source. Equilibrium melting models that produce the range of trace element and helium concentrations from this source require a bulk solid/melt distribution coefficient for helium that is lower than that for other incompatible elements by about a factor of ten. Alternatively, the bulk solid/melt distribution coefficient for helium could be similar to or even larger than that for other incompatible elements, but the much larger diffusivity of helium in peridotite leads to its more effective incompatibility and efficient extraction from a

  11. Mantle-derived trace element variability in olivines and their melt inclusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neave, David A.; Shorttle, Oliver; Oeser, Martin; Weyer, Stefan; Kobayashi, Katsura

    2018-02-01

    Trace element variability in oceanic basalts is commonly used to constrain the physics of mantle melting and the chemistry of Earth's deep interior. However, the geochemical properties of mantle melts are often overprinted by mixing and crystallisation processes during ascent and storage. Studying primitive melt inclusions offers one solution to this problem, but the fidelity of the melt-inclusion archive to bulk magma chemistry has been repeatedly questioned. To provide a novel check of the melt inclusion record, we present new major and trace element analyses from olivine macrocrysts in the products of two geographically proximal, yet compositionally distinct, primitive eruptions from the Reykjanes Peninsula of Iceland. By combining these macrocryst analyses with new and published melt inclusion analyses we demonstrate that olivines have similar patterns of incompatible trace element (ITE) variability to the inclusions they host, capturing chemical systematics on intra- and inter-eruption scales. ITE variability (element concentrations, ratios, variances and variance ratios) in olivines from the ITE-enriched Stapafell eruption is best accounted for by olivine-dominated fractional crystallisation. In contrast, ITE variability in olivines and inclusions from the ITE-depleted Háleyjabunga eruption cannot be explained by crystallisation alone, and must have originated in the mantle. Compatible trace element (CTE) variability is best described by crystallisation processes in both eruptions. Modest correlations between host and inclusion ITE contents in samples from Háleyjabunga suggest that melt inclusions can be faithful archives of melting and magmatic processes. It also indicates that degrees of ITE enrichment can be estimated from olivines directly when melt inclusion and matrix glass records of geochemical variability are poor or absent. Inter-eruption differences in olivine ITE systematics between Stapafell and Háleyjabunga mirror differences in melt

  12. Experimental Partitioning of Chalcophile Elements between Mantle Silicate Minerals and Basaltic Melt at High Pressures and Temperatures - Implications for Sulfur Geochemistry of Mantle and Crust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dasgupta, R.; Jego, S.; Ding, S.; Li, Y.; Lee, C. T.

    2015-12-01

    The behavior of chalcophile elements during mantle melting, melt extraction, and basalt differentiation is critical for formation of ore deposits and geochemical model and evolution of crust-mantle system. While chalcophile elements are strongly partitioned into sulfides, their behavior with different extent of melting, in particular, in the absence of sulfides, can only be modeled with complete knowledge of the partitioning behavior of these elements between dominant mantle minerals and basaltic melt with or without dissolved sulfide (S2-). However, experimental data on mineral-melt partitioning are lacking for many chalcophile elements. Crystallization experiments were conducted at 3 GPa and 1450-1600 °C using a piston cylinder and synthetic silicate melt compositions similar to low-degree partial melt of peridotite. Starting silicate mixes doped with 100-300 ppm of each of various chalcophile elements were loaded into Pt/graphite double capsules. To test the effect of dissolved sulfur in silicate melt on mineral-melt partitioning of chalcophile elements, experiments were conducted on both sulfur-free and sulfur-bearing (1100-1400 ppm S in melt) systems. Experimental phases were analyzed by EPMA (for major elements and S) and LA-ICP-MS (for trace elements). All experiments produced an assemblage of cpx + melt ± garnet ± olivine ± spinel and yielded new partition coefficients (D) for Sn, Zn, Mo, Sb, Bi, Pb, and Se for cpx/melt, olivine/melt, and garnet/melt pairs. Derived Ds (mineral/basalt) reveal little effect of S2- in the melt on mineral-melt partition coefficients of the measured chalcophile elements, with Ds for Zn, Mo, Bi, Pb decreasing by less than a factor of 2 from S-free to S-bearing melt systems or remaining similar, within error, between S-free and S-bearing melt systems. By combining our data with existing partitioning data between sulfide phases and silicate melt we model the fractionation of these elements during mantle melting and basalt

  13. Oceanic mantle rocks reveal evidence for an ancient, 1.2-1.3 Ga global melting event

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dijkstra, A. H.; Sergeev, D.; McTaminey, L.; Dale, C. W.; Meisel, T. C.

    2011-12-01

    It is now increasingly being recognized that many oceanic peridotites are refertilized harzburgites, and that the refertilization often masks an extremely refractory character of the original mantle rock 'protolith'. Oceanic peridotites are, when the effects of melt refertilization are undone, often too refractory to be simple mantle melting residues after the extraction of mid-ocean ridge basalts at a spreading center. Rhenium-osmium isotope analysis is a powerful method to look through the effects of refertilization and to obtain constraints on the age of the melting that produced the refractory mantle protolith. Rhenium-depletion model ages of such anomalously refractory oceanic mantle rocks - found as abyssal peridotites or as mantle xenoliths on ocean islands - are typically >1 Ga, i.e., much older than the ridge system at which they were emplaced. In my contribution I will show results from two case studies of refertilized anciently depleted mantle rocks (Macquarie Island 'abyssal' peridotites and Lanzarote mantle xenoliths). Interestingly, very refractory oceanic mantle rocks from sites all around the world show recurring evidence for a Mesoproterozoic (~1.2-1.3 Ga) melting event [1]. Therefore, oceanic mantle rocks seem to preserve evidence for ancient melting events of global significance. Alternatively, such mantle rocks may be samples of rafts of ancient continental lithospheric mantle. Laser-ablation osmium isotope 'dating' of large populations of individual osmium-bearing alloys from mantle rocks is the key to better constrain the nature and significance of these ancient depletion events. Osmium-bearing alloys form when mantle rocks are melted to high-degrees. We have now extracted over >250 detrital osmium alloys from placer gold occurrences in the river Rhine. These alloys are derived from outcrops of ophiolitic mantle rocks in the Alps, which include blocks of mantle rocks emplaced within the Tethys Ocean, and ultramafic lenses of unknown

  14. Water, lithium and trace element compositions of olivine from Lanzo South replacive mantle dunites (Western Alps): New constraints into melt migration processes at cold thermal regimes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanfilippo, Alessio; Tribuzio, Riccardo; Ottolini, Luisa; Hamada, Morihisa

    2017-10-01

    Replacive mantle dunites are considered to be shallow pathways for extraction of mantle melts from their source region. Dunites offer a unique possibility to unravel the compositional variability of the melts produced in the upper mantle, before mixing and crystal fractionation modify their original signature. This study includes a quantification of H2O, Li and trace elements (Ni, Mn, Co, Sc, V, Ti, Zr, Y and HREE) in olivine from large replacive dunite bodies (>20 m) within a mantle section exposed in the Western Italian Alps (Lanzo South ophiolite). On the basis of olivine, clinopyroxene and spinel compositions, these dunites were previously interpreted to be formed by melts with a MORB signature. Variations in Ni, Mn, Co and Ca contents in olivine from different dunite bodies suggested formation by different melt batches. The variable H2O and Li contents of these olivines agree with this idea. Compared to olivine from residual peridotites and olivine phenocrysts in MORB (both having H2O 1 ppm), the Lanzo South dunite olivine has high H2O (18-40 ppm) and low Li (0.35-0.83 ppm) contents. Geochemical modelling suggests that the dunite-forming melts were produced by low melting degrees of a mixed garnet-pyroxenite-peridotite mantle source, with a contribution of a garnet pyroxenite component variable from 20 to 80%. The Lanzo dunites experienced migration of melts geochemically enriched and mainly produced in the lowermost part of the melting region. Extraction of enriched melts through dunite channels are probably characteristic of cold thermal regimes, where low temperatures and a thick mantle lithosphere inhibit mixing with melts produced at shallower depths.

  15. Origin and evolution of primitive melts from the Debunscha Maar, Cameroon: Consequences for mantle source heterogeneity within the Cameroon Volcanic Line

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngwa, Caroline N.; Hansteen, Thor H.; Devey, Colin W.; van der Zwan, Froukje M.; Suh, Cheo E.

    2017-09-01

    Debunscha Maar is a monogenetic volcano forming part of the Mt. Cameroon volcanic field, located within the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL). Partly glassy cauliflower bombs have primitive basanite-picrobasalt compositions and contain abundant normally and reversely zoned olivine (Fo 77-87) and clinopyroxene phenocrysts. Naturally quenched melt inclusions in the most primitive olivine phenocrysts show compositions which, when corrected for post-entrapment modification, cover a wide range from basanite to alkali basalt (MgO 6.9-11.7 wt%), and are generally more primitive than the matrix glasses (MgO 5.0-5.5 wt%) and only partly fall on a common liquid line of descent with the bulk rock samples and matrix glasses. Melt inclusion trace element compositions lie on two distinct geochemical trends: one (towards high Ba/Nb) is thought to represent the effect of various proportions of anhydrous lherzolite and amphibole-bearing peridotite in the source, while the other (for example, high La/Y) reflects variable degrees of partial melting. Comparatively low fractionation-corrected CaO in the melt inclusions with the highest La/Y suggests minor involvement of a pyroxenite source component that is only visible at low degrees of melting. Most of the samples show elevated Gd/Yb, indicating up to 8% garnet in the source. The range of major and trace elements represented by the melt inclusions covers the complete geochemical range given by basalts from different volcanoes of the Cameroon volcanic line, indicating that geochemical signatures that were previously thought to be volcano-specific in fact are probably present under all volcanoes. Clinopyroxene-melt barometry strongly indicates repeated mixing of compositionally diverse melts within the upper mantle at 830 ± 170 MPa prior to eruption. Mantle potential temperatures estimated for the primitive melt inclusions suggest that the thermal influence of a mantle plume is not required to explain the magma petrogenesis.

  16. Melt migration modeling in partially molten upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghods, Abdolreza

    The objective of this thesis is to investigate the importance of melt migration in shaping major characteristics of geological features associated with the partial melting of the upper mantle, such as sea-floor spreading, continental flood basalts and rifting. The partial melting produces permeable partially molten rocks and a buoyant low viscosity melt. Melt migrates through the partially molten rocks, and transfers mass and heat. Due to its much faster velocity and appreciable buoyancy, melt migration has the potential to modify dynamics of the upwelling partially molten plumes. I develop a 2-D, two-phase flow model and apply it to investigate effects of melt migration on the dynamics and melt generation of upwelling mantle plumes and focusing of melt migration beneath mid-ocean ridges. Melt migration changes distribution of the melt-retention buoyancy force and therefore affects the dynamics of the upwelling plume. This is investigated by modeling a plume with a constant initial melt of 10% where no further melting is considered. Melt migration polarizes melt-retention buoyancy force into high and low melt fraction regions at the top and bottom portions of the plume and therefore results in formation of a more slender and faster upwelling plume. Allowing the plume to melt as it ascends through the upper mantle also produces a slender and faster plume. It is shown that melt produced by decompressional melting of the plume migrates to the upper horizons of the plume, increases the upwelling velocity and thus, the volume of melt generated by the plume. Melt migration produces a plume which lacks the mushroom shape observed for the plume models without melt migration. Melt migration forms a high melt fraction layer beneath the sloping base of the impermeable oceanic lithosphere. Using realistic conditions of melting, freezing and melt extraction, I examine whether the high melt fraction layer is able to focus melt from a wide partial melting zone to a narrow region

  17. Chemical provinces and dynamic melting of the NE Atlantic mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tronnes, R. G.

    2009-12-01

    Low-degree melting of fertile parts of the NE Atlantic mantle yields primitive alkaline basalts in the Icelandic off-rift zones and at Jan Mayen. Olivine tholeiites in the Icelandic rift zones and oceanic spreading ridges are formed by protracted decompressional melting. The V-shaped ridges SW and NE of Iceland indicate that rising, hot material is supplied by a pulsating plume and deflected laterally for distances of about 1000 km from Iceland (Jones et al. GGG 2002; Breivik et al. JGR 2006). Plume material deflected along the rift zones and spreading ridges undergoes mixing with the ambient asthenosphere and extensive melting at shallow level, whereas material deflected in other directions may flow laterally at deeper levels and remain largely unmelted and fertile. A recent investigation of a suite of primitive off-rift basalts from Iceland and Jan Mayen (Debaille et al., 2009, GCA) demonstrated an important source contribution from subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). Available data on the primitive off-rift basalts and tholeiitic basalts from Iceland and the NE Atlantic ridges indicates the existence of three main composite mantle components, characterized by the following relative isotope ratios (H: high, I: intermediate and L: low ratio) for 87/86Sr, 143/144Nd, 206/204Pb, 187/188Os and 3/4He, respectively: 1. Iceland plume with depleted lower mantle mixed with recycled oceanic crust: I, I, H, H, H 2. Strongly depleted and later re-enriched SCLM: H, L, I, L, L 3. Depleted asthenosphere: L, H, L, I, L The two first composite components contain enriched and depleted subcomponents with distinct isotope signatures. The isotope ratio variations between the fertile components are larger than between the refractory components. The 3/4He ratio, however, is much higher in the depleted plume component than in the depleted SCLM and asthenospheric components. The old SCLM material could in principle be recycled and embedded in the lower mantle and supplied to the

  18. Rapakivi texture formation via disequilibrium melting in a contact partial melt zone, Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Currier, R. M.

    2017-12-01

    In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, a Jurassic aged dolerite sill induced partial melting of granite in the shallow crust. The melt zone can be traced in full, from high degrees of melting (>60%) along the dolerite contact, to no apparent signs of melting, 10s of meters above the contact. Within this melt zone, the well-known rapakivi texture is found, arrested in various stages of development. High above the contact, and at low degrees of melting, K-feldspar crystals are slightly rounded and unmantled. In the lower half of the melt zone, mantles of cellular textured plagioclase appear on K-feldspar, and thicken towards the contact heat source. At the highest degrees of melting, cellular-textured plagioclase completely replaces restitic K-feldspar. Because of the complete exposure and intact context, the leading models of rapakivi texture formation can be tested against this system. The previously proposed mechanisms of subisothermal decompression, magma-mixing, and hydrothermal exsolution all fail to adequately describe rapakivi generation in this melt zone. Preferred here is a closed system model that invokes the production of a heterogeneous, disequilibrium melt through rapid heating, followed by calcium and sodium rich melt reacting in a peritectic fashion with restitic K-feldspar crystals. This peritectic reaction results in the production of plagioclase of andesine-oligoclase composition—which is consistent with not just mantles in the melt zone, but globally as well. The thickness of the mantle is diffusion limited, and thus a measure of the diffusive length scale of sodium and calcium over the time scale of melting. Thermal modeling provides a time scale of melting that is consistent with the thickness of observed mantles. Lastly, the distribution of mantled feldspars is highly ordered in this melt zone, but if it were mobilized and homogenized—mixing together cellular plagioclase, mantled feldspars, and unmantled feldspars—the result would be

  19. Phase behavior and reactive transport of partial melt in heterogeneous mantle model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, J.; Hesse, M. A.

    2013-12-01

    The reactive transport of partial melt is the key process that leads to the chemical and physical differentiation of terrestrial planets and smaller celestial bodies. The essential role of the lithological heterogeneities during partial melting of the mantle is increasingly recognized. How far can enriched melts propagate while interacting with the ambient mantle? Can the melt flow emanating from a fertile heterogeneity be localized through a reactive infiltration feedback in a model without exogenous factors or contrived initial conditions? A full understanding of the role of heterogeneities requires reactive melt transport models that account for the phase behavior of major elements. Previous work on reactive transport in the mantle focuses on trace element partitioning; we present the first nonlinear chromatographic analysis of reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution. Our analysis shows that reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution leads to the formation of two separate reaction fronts: a slow melting/freezing front along which enthalpy change is dominant and a fast dissolution/precipitation front along which compositional changes are dominated by an ion-exchange process over enthalpy change. An intermediate state forms between these two fronts with a bulk-rock composition and enthalpy that are not necessarily bounded by the bulk-rock composition and enthalpy of either the enriched heterogeneity or the depleted ambient mantle. The formation of this intermediate state makes it difficult to anticipate the porosity changes and hence the stability of reaction fronts. Therefore, we develop a graphical representation for the solution that allows identification of the intermediate state by inspection, for all possible bulk-rock compositions and enthalpies of the heterogeneity and the ambient mantle. We apply the analysis to the partial melting of an enriched heterogeneity. This leads to the formation of moving precipitation

  20. Deep and persistent melt layer in the Archaean mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrault, Denis; Pesce, Giacomo; Manthilake, Geeth; Monteux, Julien; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie; Chantel, Julien; Novella, Davide; Guignot, Nicolas; King, Andrew; Itié, Jean-Paul; Hennet, Louis

    2018-02-01

    The transition from the Archaean to the Proterozoic eon ended a period of great instability at the Earth's surface. The origin of this transition could be a change in the dynamic regime of the Earth's interior. Here we use laboratory experiments to investigate the solidus of samples representative of the Archaean upper mantle. Our two complementary in situ measurements of the melting curve reveal a solidus that is 200-250 K lower than previously reported at depths higher than about 100 km. Such a lower solidus temperature makes partial melting today easier than previously thought, particularly in the presence of volatiles (H2O and CO2). A lower solidus could also account for the early high production of melts such as komatiites. For an Archaean mantle that was 200-300 K hotter than today, significant melting is expected at depths from 100-150 km to more than 400 km. Thus, a persistent layer of melt may have existed in the Archaean upper mantle. This shell of molten material may have progressively disappeared because of secular cooling of the mantle. Crystallization would have increased the upper mantle viscosity and could have enhanced mechanical coupling between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. Such a change might explain the transition from surface dynamics dominated by a stagnant lid on the early Earth to modern-like plate tectonics with deep slab subduction.

  1. Electrical conductivity of partially-molten olivine aggregate and melt interconnectivity in the oceanic upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laumonier, Mickael; Frost, Dan; Farla, Robert; Katsura, Tomoo; Marquardt, Katharina

    2016-04-01

    A consistent explanation for mantle geophysical anomalies such as the Lithosphere-Astenosphere Boundary (LAB) relies on the existence of little amount of melt trapped in the solid peridotite. Mathematical models have been used to assess the melt fraction possibly lying at mantle depths, but they have not been experimentally checked at low melt fraction (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain) containing various amount of basaltic (MORB-like composition) melt (0 to 100%) at upper mantle conditions. We used the MAVO 6-ram press (BGI) combined with a Solartron gain phase analyser to acquire the electrical resistance of the sample at pressure of 1.5 GPa and temperature up to 1400°C. The results show the increase of the electrical conductivity with the temperature following an Arrhenius law, and with the melt fraction, but the effect of pressure between 1.5 and 3.0 GPa was found negligible at a melt fraction of 0.5 vol.%. The conductivity of a partially molten aggregate fits the modified Archie's law from 0.5 to 100 vol.%. At melt fractions of 0.25, 0.15 and 0.0 vol.%, the EC value deviates from the trend previously defined, suggesting that the melt is no longer fully interconnected through the sample, also supported by chemical mapping. Our results extend the previous results obtained on mixed system between 1 and 10% of melt. Since the melt appears fully interconnected down to very low melt fraction (0.5 vol.%), we conclude that (i) only 0.5 to 1 vol.% of melt is enough to explain the LAB EC anomaly, lower than previously determined; and (ii) deformation is not mandatory to enhance electrical conductivity of melt-bearing mantle rocks.

  2. The role and conditions of second-stage mantle melting in the generation of low-Ti tholeiites and boninites: the case of the Manihiki Plateau and the Troodos ophiolite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golowin, Roman; Portnyagin, Maxim; Hoernle, Kaj; Sobolev, Alexander; Kuzmin, Dimitry; Werner, Reinhard

    2017-12-01

    High-Mg, low-Ti volcanic rocks from the Manihiki Plateau in the Western Pacific share many geochemical characteristics with subduction-related boninites such as high-Ca boninites from the Troodos ophiolite on Cyprus, which are believed to originate by hydrous re-melting of previously depleted mantle. In this paper we compare the Manihiki rocks and Troodos boninites using a new dataset on the major and trace element composition of whole rocks and glasses from these locations, and new high-precision, electron microprobe analyses of olivine and Cr-spinel in these rocks. Our results show that both low-Ti Manihiki rocks and Troodos boninites could originate by re-melting of a previously depleted lherzolite mantle source (20-25% of total melting with 8-10% melting during the first stage), as indicated by strong depletion of magmas in more to less incompatible elements (Sm/Yb Y 0.5). In comparison with Troodos boninites, the low-Ti Manihiki magmas had distinctively lower H2O contents ( 2 wt% in boninites), 100 °C higher liquidus temperatures at a given olivine Fo-number, lower fO2 (ΔQFM + 0.2) and originated from deeper and hotter mantle (1.4-1.7 GPa, 1440 °C vs. 0.8-1.0 GPa, 1300 °C for Troodos boninites). The data provide new evidence that re-melting of residual upper mantle is not only restricted to subduction zones, where it occurs under hydrous conditions, but can also take place due to interaction of previously depleted upper mantle with mantle plumes from the deep and hotter Earth interior.

  3. Deep pooling of low degree melts and volatile fluxes at the 85°E segment of the Gakkel Ridge: Evidence from olivine-hosted melt inclusions and glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Alison M.; Behn, Mark D.; Humphris, Susan E.; Sohn, Robert A.; Gregg, Patricia M.

    2010-01-01

    We present new analyses of volatile, major, and trace elements for a suite of glasses and melt inclusions from the 85°E segment of the ultra-slow spreading Gakkel Ridge. Samples from this segment include limu o pele and glass shards, proposed to result from CO 2-driven explosive activity. The major element and volatile compositions of the melt inclusions are more variable and consistently more primitive than the glass data. CO 2 contents in the melt inclusions extend to higher values (167-1596 ppm) than in the co-existing glasses (187-227 ppm), indicating that the melt inclusions were trapped at greater depths. These melt inclusions record the highest CO 2 melt concentrations observed for a ridge environment. Based on a vapor saturation model, we estimate that the melt inclusions were trapped between seafloor depths (˜ 4 km) and ˜ 9 km below the seafloor. However, the glasses are all in equilibrium with their eruption depths, which is inconsistent with the rapid magma ascent rates expected for explosive activity. Melting conditions inferred from thermobarometry suggest relatively deep (25-40 km) and cold (1240°-1325 °C) melting conditions, consistent with a thermal structure calculated for the Gakkel Ridge. The water contents and trace element compositions of the melt inclusions and glasses are remarkably homogeneous; this is an unexpected result for ultra-slow spreading ridges, where magma mixing is generally thought to be less efficient based on the assumption that steady-state crustal magma chambers are absent in these environments. All melts can be described by a single liquid line of descent originating from a pooled melt composition that is consistent with the aggregate melt calculated from a geodynamic model for the Gakkel Ridge. These data suggest a model in which deep, low degree melts are efficiently pooled in the upper mantle (9-20 km depth), after which crystallization commences and continues during ascent and eruption. Based on our melting model

  4. Petrological Geodynamics of Mantle Melting I. AlphaMELTS + Multiphase Flow: Dynamic Equilibrium Melting, Method and Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Massimiliano Tirone

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The complex process of melting in the Earth's interior is studied by combining a multiphase numerical flow model with the program AlphaMELTS which provides a petrological description based on thermodynamic principles. The objective is to address the fundamental question of the effect of the mantle and melt dynamics on the composition and abundance of the melt and the residual solid. The conceptual idea is based on a 1-D description of the melting process that develops along an ideal vertical column where local chemical equilibrium is assumed to apply at some level in space and time. By coupling together the transport model and the chemical thermodynamic model, the evolution of the melting process can be described in terms of melt distribution, temperature, pressure and solid and melt velocities but also variation of melt and residual solid composition and mineralogical abundance at any depth over time. In this first installment of a series of three contributions, a two-phase flow model (melt and solid assemblage is developed under the assumption of complete local equilibrium between melt and a peridotitic mantle (dynamic equilibrium melting, DEM. The solid mantle is also assumed to be completely dry. The present study addresses some but not all the potential factors affecting the melting process. The influence of permeability and viscosity of the solid matrix are considered in some detail. The essential features of the dynamic model and how it is interfaced with AlphaMELTS are clearly outlined. A detailed and explicit description of the numerical procedure should make this type of numerical models less obscure. The general observation that can be made from the outcome of several simulations carried out for this work is that the melt composition varies with depth, however the melt abundance not necessarily always increases moving upwards. When a quasi-steady state condition is achieved, that is when melt abundance does not varies significantly

  5. Primary magmas and mantle sources of Emeishan basalts constrained from major element, trace element and Pb isotope compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Zhong-Yuan; Wu, Ya-Dong; Zhang, Le; Nichols, Alexander R. L.; Hong, Lu-Bing; Zhang, Yin-Hui; Zhang, Yan; Liu, Jian-Qiang; Xu, Yi-Gang

    2017-07-01

    Olivine-hosted melt inclusions within lava retain important information regarding the lava's primary magma compositions and mantle sources. Thus, they can be used to infer the nature of the mantle sources of large igneous provinces, which is still not well known and of the subject of debate. We have analysed the chemical compositions and Pb isotopic ratios of olivine-hosted melt inclusions in the Dali picrites, Emeishan Large Igneous Province (LIP), SW China. These are the first in-situ Pb isotope data measured for melt inclusions found in the Emeishan picrites and allow new constraints to be placed on the source lithology of the Emeishan LIP. The melt inclusions show chemical compositional variations, spanning low-, intermediate- and high-Ti compositions, while their host whole rocks are restricted to the intermediate-Ti compositions. Together with the relatively constant Pb isotope ratios of the melt inclusions, the compositional variations suggest that the low-, intermediate- and high-Ti melts were derived from compositionally similar sources. The geochemical characteristics of melt inclusions, their host olivines, and whole-rocks from the Emeishan LIP indicate that Ca, Al, Mn, Yb, and Lu behave compatibly, and Ti, Rb, Sr, Zr, and Nb behave incompatibly during partial melting, requiring a pyroxenite source for the Emeishin LIP. The wide range of Ti contents in the melt inclusions and whole-rocks of the Emeishan basalts reflects different degrees of partial melting in the pyroxenite source at different depths in the melting column. The Pb isotope compositions of the melt inclusions and the OIB-like trace element compositions of the Emeishan basalts imply that mixing of a recycled ancient oceanic crust (EM1-like) component with a peridotite component from the lower mantle (FOZO-like component) could have underwent solid-state reaction, producing a secondary pyroxenite source that was subsequently partially melted to form the basalts. This new model of pyroxenite

  6. Ultrasonic Acoustic Velocities During Partial Melting of a Mantle Peridotite KLB-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weidner, Donald J.; Li, Li; Whitaker, Matthew L.; Triplett, Richard

    2018-02-01

    Knowledge of the elastic properties of partially molten rocks is crucial for understanding low-velocity regions in the interior of the Earth. Models of fluid and solid mixtures have demonstrated that significant decreases in seismic velocity are possible with small amounts of melt, but there is very little available data for testing these models, particularly with both P and S waves for mantle compositions. We report ultrasonic measurements of P and S velocities on a partially molten KLB-1 sample at mantle conditions using a multi-anvil device at a synchrotron facility. The P, S, and bulk sound velocities decrease as melting occurs. We find that the quantity, ∂lnVS/∂lnVB (where VB is the bulk sound velocity) is lower than mechanical models estimate. Instead, our data, as well as previous data in the literature, are consistent with a dynamic melting model in which melting and solidification interact with the stress field of the acoustic wave.

  7. A Missing Link in Understanding Mantle Wedge Melting, Higashi-akaishi Peridotite, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Till, C. B.; Carlson, R. W.; Grove, T. L.; Wallis, S.; Mizukami, T.

    2009-12-01

    The Sanbagawa subduction-type metamorphic belt in SW Japan represents the deepest exposed portion of a Mesozoic accretionary complex along the Japanese island arc. Located on the island of Shikoku, the Higashi-akaishi peridotite body is the largest ultramafic lens within the Sanbagawa belt and is dominantly composed of dunite, lherzolite and garnet clinopyroxenite, interfingered in one locality with quartz-rich eclogite. Previous work indicates the P-T history of the peridotite includes rapid prograde metamorphism with peak temperatures of 700-810°C and pressures of 2.9-3.8 GPa at approximately 110-120 Ma. Here we present major and trace element and isotopic data for samples within the Higashi-akaishi peridotite body that suggest it records subduction zone melting processes. Ultramafic samples range from 40-52 wt. % SiO2 and 21-45 wt. % MgO with olivine and clinopyroxene Mg#s as high as 0.93 and have trace element concentrations diagnostic of subduction zone processes. The quartz-rich eclogite contains 62 wt. % SiO2, 6 wt. % MgO and 13 wt. % Al2O3 and has trace element concentrations that are enriched relative to the ultramafic samples. 87Sr/86Sr (.703237-.704288), 143Nd/144Nd (ɛNd=+2-6) and Pb isotopic compositions are within the range of Japanese arc rocks. 187Os/188Os values range from typical mantle values (0.123-0.129), to slightly elevated (0.133) in one peridotite with an unusually low Os content, to a high of 0.145 in the quartz-rich eclogite. The presence of garnet porphyroblasts that enclose primary euhedral chlorite, together with the chemical evidence, suggest these samples are associated with mantle melting in the presence of H2O near their peak P-T conditions and may represent both residues and trapped melts within a paleo-mantle wedge. The peak P-T conditions of these rocks are also similar to the solidus conditions of H2O-saturated fertile mantle based on experimental determinations. Thus the Higashi-akaishi peridotite may be a real world analog

  8. Melting of the Primitive Mercurian Mantle, Insights into the Origin of Its Surface Composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boujibar, A.; Righter, K.; Rapp, J. F.; Ross, D. K.; Pando, K. M.; Danielson, L. R.; Fontaine, E.

    2016-01-01

    Recent findings of the MESSENGER mission on Mercury have brought new evidence for its reducing nature, widespread volcanism and surface compositional heteregeneity. MESSENGER also provided major elemental ratios of its surface that can be used to infer large-scale differentiation processes and the thermal history of the planet. Mercury is known as being very reduced, with very low Fe-content and high S and alkali contents on its surface. Its bulk composition is therefore likely close to EH enstatite chondrites. In order to elucidate the origin of the chemical diversity of Mercury's surface, we determined the melting properties of EH enstatite chondrites, at pressures between 1 bar and 3 GPa and oxygen fugacity of IW-3 to IW-5, using piston-cylinder experiments, combined with a previous study on EH4 melting at 1 bar. We found that the presence of Ca-rich sulfide melts induces significant decrease of Ca-content in silicate melts at low pressure and low degree of melting (F). Also at pressures lower than 3 GPa, the SiO2-content decreases with F, while it increases at 3 GPa. This is likely due to the chemical composition of the bulk silicate which has a (Mg+Fe+Ca)/Si ratio very close to 1 and to the change from incongruent to congruent melting of enstatite. We then tested whether the various chemical compositions of Mercury's surface can result from mixing between two melting products of EH chondrites. We found that the majority of the geochemical provinces of Mercury's surface can be explained by mixing of two melts, with the exception of the High-Al plains that require an Al-rich source. Our findings indicate that Mercury's surface could have been produced by polybaric melting of a relatively primitive mantle.

  9. Deformation, static recrystallization, and reactive melt transport in shallow subcontinental mantle xenoliths (Tok Cenozoic volcanic field, SE Siberia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tommasi, Andréa; Vauchez, Alain; Ionov, Dmitri A.

    2008-07-01

    Partial melting and reactive melt transport may change the composition, microstructures, and physical properties of mantle rocks. Here we explore the relations between deformation and reactive melt transport through detailed microstructural analysis and crystallographic orientation measurements in spinel peridotite xenoliths that sample the shallow lithospheric mantle beneath the southeastern rim of the Siberian craton. These xenoliths have coarse-grained, annealed microstructures and show petrographic and chemical evidence for variable degrees of reaction with silicate melts and fluids, notably Fe-enrichment and crystallization of metasomatic clinopyroxene (cpx). Olivine crystal preferred orientations (CPO) range from strong to weak. [010]-fiber patterns, characterized by a point concentration of [010] normal to the foliation and by dispersion of [100] in the foliation plane with a weak maximum parallel to the lineation, predominate relative to the [100]-fiber patterns usually observed in lithospheric mantle xenoliths and peridotite massifs. Variations in olivine CPO patterns or intensity are not correlated with modal and chemical compositions. This, together with the analysis of microstructures, suggests that reactive melt percolation postdated both deformation and static recrystallization. Preferential crystallization of metasomatic cpx along (010) olivine grain boundaries points to an influence of the preexisting deformation fabrics on melt transport, with higher permeability along the foliation. Similarity between orthopyroxene (opx) and cpx CPO suggests that cpx orientations may be inherited from those of opx during melt-rock reaction. As observed in previous studies, reactive melt transport does not weaken olivine CPO and seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle, except in melt accumulation domains. In contrast, recovery and selective grain growth during static recrystallization may lead to development of [010]-fiber olivine CPO and, if foliations are

  10. Effect of Mantle Wedge Hybridization by Sediment Melt on Geochemistry of Arc Magma and Arc Mantle Source - Insights from Laboratory Experiments at High Pressures and Temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallik, A.; Dasgupta, R.; Tsuno, K.; Nelson, J. M.

    2015-12-01

    Generation of arc magmas involves metasomatism of the mantle wedge by slab-derived H2O-rich fluids and/or melts and subsequent melting of the modified source. The chemistry of arc magmas and the residual mantle wedge are not only regulated by the chemistry of the slab input, but also by the phase relations of metasomatism or hybridization process in the wedge. The sediment-derived silica-rich fluids and hydrous partial melts create orthopyroxene-rich zones in the mantle wedge, due to reaction of mantle olivine with silica in the fluid/melt [1,2]. Geochemical evidence for such a reaction comes from pyroxenitic lithologies coexisting with peridotite in supra-subduction zones. In this study, we have simulated the partial melting of a parcel of mantle wedge modified by bulk addition of sediment-derived melt with variable H2O contents to investigate the major and trace element chemistry of the magmas and the residues formed by this process. Experiments at 2-3 GPa and 1150-1300 °C were conducted on mixtures of 25% sediment-derived melt and 75% lherzolite, with bulk H2O contents varying from 2 to 6 wt.%. Partial reactive crystallization of the rhyolitic slab-derived melt and partial melting of the mixed source produced a range of melt compositions from ultra-K basanites to basaltic andesites, in equilibrium with an orthopyroxene ± phlogopite ± clinopyroxene ± garnet bearing residue, depending on P and bulk H2O content. Model calculations using partition coefficients (from literature) of trace elements between experimental minerals and silicate melt suggest that the geochemical signatures of the slab-derived melt, such as low Ce/Pb and depletion in Nb and Ta (characteristic slab signatures) are not erased from the resulting melt owing to reactive crystallization. The residual mineral assemblage is also found to be similar to the supra-subduction zone lithologies, such as those found in Dabie Shan (China) and Sanbagawa Belt (Japan). In this presentation, we will also

  11. Highly CO2-supersaturated melts in the Pannonian lithospheric mantle - A transient carbon reservoir?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Créon, Laura; Rouchon, Virgile; Youssef, Souhail; Rosenberg, Elisabeth; Delpech, Guillaume; Szabó, Csaba; Remusat, Laurent; Mostefaoui, Smail; Asimow, Paul D.; Antoshechkina, Paula M.; Ghiorso, Mark S.; Boller, Elodie; Guyot, François

    2017-08-01

    Subduction of carbonated crust is widely believed to generate a flux of carbon into the base of the continental lithospheric mantle, which in turn is the likely source of widespread volcanic and non-volcanic CO2 degassing in active tectonic intracontinental settings such as rifts, continental margin arcs and back-arc domains. However, the magnitude of the carbon flux through the lithosphere and the budget of stored carbon held within the lithospheric reservoir are both poorly known. We provide new constraints on the CO2 budget of the lithospheric mantle below the Pannonian Basin (Central Europe) through the study of a suite of xenoliths from the Bakony-Balaton Highland Volcanic Field. Trails of secondary fluid inclusions, silicate melt inclusions, networks of melt veins, and melt pockets with large and abundant vesicles provide numerous lines of evidence that mantle metasomatism affected the lithosphere beneath this region. We obtain a quantitative estimate of the CO2 budget of the mantle below the Pannonian Basin using a combination of innovative analytical and modeling approaches: (1) synchrotron X-ray microtomography, (2) NanoSIMS, Raman spectroscopy and microthermometry, and (3) thermodynamic models (Rhyolite-MELTS). The three-dimensional volumes reconstructed from synchrotron X-ray microtomography allow us to quantify the proportions of all petrographic phases in the samples and to visualize their textural relationships. The concentration of CO2 in glass veins and pockets ranges from 0.27 to 0.96 wt.%, higher than in typical arc magmas (0-0.25 wt.% CO2), whereas the H2O concentration ranges from 0.54 to 4.25 wt.%, on the low end for estimated primitive arc magmas (1.9-6.3 wt.% H2O). Trapping pressures for vesicles were determined by comparing CO2 concentrations in glass to CO2 saturation as a function of pressure in silicate melts, suggesting pressures between 0.69 to 1.78 GPa. These values are generally higher than trapping pressures for fluid inclusions

  12. Stochastic melting of the marble cake mantle: Evidence from local study of the East Pacific Rise at 12050'N

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prinzhofer, A.; Lewin, E.; Allegre, C.J.; Paris-7 Univ., 75

    1989-01-01

    Isotopes (Nd, Sr and Pb) and trace elements (REE, Ba, Sr, Rb) have been measured on a set of basaltic glasses from a restricted area (40x10 km) at 12 0 50'N on the East Pacific Rise. The huge variation of incompatible element concentrations (factor 70 for Ba concentrations), and the variable degrees of correlation between element concentrations cannot be explained by usual models of melting and fractional crystallization. A rough correlation between the Ce/Yb ratio and the isotopic ratios favors a ''source effect'' for the genesis of the glasses. We have developed a model including both partial melting process acting on a heterogeneous mantle source with two components (peridotites and pyroxenites; ''marble cake mantle'' of Allegre and Turcotte) and fractional crystallization. The purpose of this model is not to obtain values of the four parameters involved (degree of melting in the peridotites, in the pyroxenites, proportion of pyroxenites involved in the melting, degree of fractional crystallization) for each analyzed glass, but to model the whole set of glasses by stochastic genesis and sampling of liquids. We have used the stochastic procedure for the four controlled parameters, currently generating 10,000 ''samples''. Our preferred model for this portion of the East Pacific Ridge is obtained with a degree of melting in the peridotites and in the pyroxenites varying uniformly from 6 to 20%, and from 6 to 50% respectively. The degree of mixing between liquids issued from the two sources varies from 0 to 100%, and the degree of fractional crystallization remains small, without noticeable effect on the concentrations, varying from 0 to 6%. (orig.)

  13. High porosity harzburgite and dunite channels for the transport of compositionally heterogeneous melts in the mantle: II. Geochemical consequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Y.; Schiemenz, A.; Xia, Y.; Parmentier, E.

    2009-12-01

    In a companion numerical study [1], we explored the spatial distribution of high porosity harzburgite and dunite channels produced by reactive dissolution of orthopyroxene (opx) in an upwelling mantle column and identified a number of new features. In this study, we examine the geochemical consequences of channelized melt flow under the settings outlined in [1] with special attention to the transport of compositionally heterogeneous melts and their interactions with the surrounding peridotite matrix during melt migration in the mantle. Time-dependent transport equations for a trace element in the interstitial melt and solids that include advection, dispersion, and melt-rock reaction were solved in a 2-D upwelling column using the high-order numerical methods outlined in [1]. The melt and solid velocities were taken from the steady state or quasi-steady state solutions of [1]. In terms of trace element fractionation, the simulation domain can be divided into 4 distinct regions: (a) high porosity harzburgite channel, overlain by; (b) high porosity dunite channel; (c) low porosity compacting boundary layer surrounding the melt channels; and (d) inter-channel regions outside (c). In the limit of local chemical equilibrium, melting in region (d) is equivalent to batch melting, whereas melting and melt extraction in (c) is more close to fractional melting with the melt suction rate first increase from the bottom of the melting column to a maximum near the bottom of the dunite channel and then decrease upward in the compacting boundary layer. The melt composition in the high porosity harzburgite channel is similar to that produced by high-degree batch melting (up to opx exhaustion), whereas the melt composition in the dunite is a weighted average of the ultra-depleted melt from the harzburgite channel below, the expelled melt from the compacting boundary layer, and melt produced by opx dissolution along the sidewalls of the dunite channel. Compaction within the dunite

  14. A conceptual model for the asthenosphere: redox melting in the C-O-H-bearing mantle vs. geophysical observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaillard, Fabrice; Tarits, Pascal; Massuyeau, Malcolm; David, Sifre; Leila, Hashim; Emmanuel, Gardes

    2013-04-01

    The asthenosphere has classically been considered as a convective layer, with its viscosity decreased by the presence of 100's ppm water in olivine, and being overtopped by a rigid and dry lithosphere. It, however, needs a new conceptual definition as the presence of water seems not able to affect the rheology of olivine; furthermore, properties such as electrical conductivity and seismic wave's velocity are not sensibly affected by water content in olivine, leaving the geophysical features of the asthenosphere unexplained. An asthenosphere impregnated by low melt fractions is consistent with constraints on melting behavior of C-O-H-bearing peridotites and may also better explain electrical conductivity and seismic features. The challenge is therefore to confront and reconcile the complexity of mantle melting in the C-O-H system with geophysical observations. This work reviews and discusses several key properties of the asthenosphere and relates their vertical and lateral heterogeneities to geodynamic processes. The first discussion is about the top of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere boundary in the oceanic mantle. The discontinuity identified by seismic and electrical surveys is located at an average depth of 65km and is weakly influenced by the age, and therefore, the temperature of the lithosphere. This puzzling observation is shown here to be in perfect line the onset of peridotite melting in presence of both H2O and CO2. Mantle melting is therefore expected at 65 km depth, where the melt is essentially carbonatitic, inducing weakening and imposing transition in the regime of thermal transfer. Deeper, the melt evolve to silica-richer compositions. Twenty years of petrological investigations on processes that control mantle redox state unanimously concur on an increasingly reduced mantle with increasing depth. The conventional wisdom defines garnet as being increasingly abundant and increasingly able to concentrate ferric iron with increasing depth. Such oxygen

  15. An experimental study of Fe-Ni exchange between sulfide melt and olivine at upper mantle conditions: implications for mantle sulfide compositions and phase equilibria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhou; von der Handt, Anette; Hirschmann, Marc M.

    2018-03-01

    The behavior of nickel in the Earth's mantle is controlled by sulfide melt-olivine reaction. Prior to this study, experiments were carried out at low pressures with narrow range of Ni/Fe in sulfide melt. As the mantle becomes more reduced with depth, experiments at comparable conditions provide an assessment of the effect of pressure at low-oxygen fugacity conditions. In this study, we constrain the Fe-Ni composition of molten sulfide in the Earth's upper mantle via sulfide melt-olivine reaction experiments at 2 GPa, 1200 and 1400 °C, with sulfide melt X_{{{Ni}}}^{{{Sulfide}}}={{Ni}}/{{Ni+{Fe}}} (atomic ratio) ranging from 0 to 0.94. To verify the approach to equilibrium and to explore the effect of {f_{{{O}2}}} on Fe-Ni exchange between phases, four different suites of experiments were conducted, varying in their experimental geometry and initial composition. Effects of Ni secondary fluorescence on olivine analyses were corrected using the PENELOPE algorithm (Baró et al., Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B 100:31-46, 1995), "zero time" experiments, and measurements before and after dissolution of surrounding sulfides. Oxygen fugacities in the experiments, estimated from the measured O contents of sulfide melts and from the compositions of coexisting olivines, were 3.0 ± 1.0 log units more reduced than the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) buffer (suite 1, 2 and 3), and FMQ - 1 or more oxidized (suite 4). For the reduced (suites 1-3) experiments, Fe-Ni distribution coefficients K_{{D}}{}={(X_{{{Ni}}}^{{{sulfide}}}/X_{{{Fe}}}^{{{sulfide}}})}/{(X_{{{Ni}}^{{{olivine}}}/X_{{{Fe}}}^{{{olivine}}})}} are small, averaging 10.0 ± 5.7, with little variation as a function of total Ni content. More oxidized experiments (suite 4) give larger values of K D (21.1-25.2). Compared to previous determinations at 100 kPa, values of K D from this study are chiefly lower, in large part owing to the more reduced conditions of the experiments. The observed difference does not seem

  16. Seismic Velocity Structure of the Pacific Upper Mantle in the NoMelt Region from Finite-Frequency Traveltime Tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, S. H.; Lin, P. Y.; Gaherty, J. B.; Russell, J. B.; Jin, G.; Collins, J. A.; Lizarralde, D.; Evans, R. L.; Hirth, G.

    2017-12-01

    Surface wave dispersion and magnetotelluric survey from the NoMelt Experiment conducted on 70 Ma central Pacific seafloor revealed an electrically resistive, high shear wave velocity lid of 80 km thick underlain by a non-highly conductive, low-velocity layer [Sarafian et al., 2015; Lin et al., 2016]. The vertical structure of the upper mantle consistent with these observational constraints suggests a plausible convection scenario, where the seismically fast, dehydrated lithosphere preserving very strong fossil spreading fabric moves at a constant plate speed over the hydrated, melt-free athenospheric mantle with the presence of either pressure-driven return flow or thermally-driven small scale circulation. To explore 3-D variations in compressional shear wave velocities related to the lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle dynamics, we employ a multichannel cross correlation method to measure relative traveltime residuals based on the vertical P and traverse S waveforms filtered at 10-33 s from telseismic earthquakes at epicentral distance between 30 and 98 degrees. The obtained P and S residuals show on average peak-to-peak variations of ±0.5 s and ±1 s, respectively, across the NoMelt OBS array. Particularly, the P residuals for most of the events display an asymmetrical pattern with respect to an axis oriented nearly N-S to NE-SW through the array. Preliminary ray-based P tomography results reveal similar asymmetric variations in the uppermost 100 km mantle. To verify the resulting structural features, we will further perform both the P and S traveltime tomography and resolution tests based on a multiscale finite-frequency approach which properly takes into account both the 3D off-path sensitivities of the measured residuals and data-adaptive resolution of the model.

  17. Ferric iron partitioning between pyroxene and melt during partial melting of the Earth's upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudra, A.; Hirschmann, M. M.

    2017-12-01

    The oxidation state of the Earth's mantle influences melt production, volatile behavior, partitioning of key trace elements and possible saturation of alloy at depth. Average Fe3+/FeT ratios in MORBs indicate oxygen fugacitiy of the source regions is close to QFM, in contrast to a 3 log unit variation of fO2 recorded by abyssal peridotites. Quantification of the relationship between basalt and source Fe3+/FeT, oxygen fugacity, and melting requires constraints on Fe3+ partitioning between melt and mantle minerals and in particular the principal Fe3+ host, pyroxene. McCanta et al. (2004) investigated valence dependent partitioning of Fe between Martian ferroan pigeonites and melt, but behavior in terrestrial pyroxene compositions relevant to MORB petrogenesis has not been investigated. We are conducting 1 atm controlled fO2 experiments over 4 log unit variation of fO2 between ΔQFM = 2.5 to -1.5 to grow pyroxenes of variable tetrahedral and octahedral cationic population from andesitic melts of varying Mg#, alumina and alkali content. Dynamic crystallization technique facilitates growth of pyroxene crystals (100-200 um) that EPMA analyses show to be compositionally homogeneous and in equilibrium with the melt. Fe3+/FeT ratio of the synthetic pyroxenes have been analyzed by XAFS spectroscopy at the APS (GSECARS) synchrotron. To quantify the x-ray anisotropy in pyroxenes, we collected Fe K-edge XAFS spectra of oriented natural single crystals for a wide range compositions whose Fe3+/FeT ratios we determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy. We have collected both XANES and EXAFS spectral regions spanning from 7020-7220 eV to explore predictive capabilities of different spectral regions about ferric iron concentration and site occupancy. Our results will document the Fe3+ compatibility in pyroxenes of different compositions under a variety of fO2 conditions, which in turn will better constrain the interrelationship between mantle redox and melting.

  18. Silicate melt metasomatism in the lithospheric mantle beneath SW Poland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puziewicz, Jacek; Matusiak-Małek, Magdalena; Ntaflos, Theodoros; Grégoire, Michel; Kukuła, Anna

    2014-05-01

    The xenoliths of peridotites representing the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath SW Poland and adjacent parts of Germany occur in the Cenozoic alkaline volcanic rocks. Our study is based on detailed characterization of xenoliths occurring in 7 locations (Steinberg in Upper Lusatia, Księginki, Pilchowice, Krzeniów, Wilcza Góra, Winna Góra and Lutynia in Lower Silesia). One of the two major lithologies occurring in the xenoliths, which we call the "B" lithology, comprises peridotites (typically harzburgites) with olivine containing from 90.5 to 84.0 mole % of forsterite. The harzburgites contain no clinopyroxene or are poor in that mineral (eg. in Krzeniów the group "B" harzburgites contain pfu in ortho-, and pfu in clinopyroxene). The exception are xenoliths from Księginki, which contain pyroxenes characterised by negative correlation between mg# and Al. The REE patterns of both ortho- and clinopyroxene in the group "B" peridotites suggest equilibration with silicate melt. The rocks of "B" lithology were formed due to alkaline silicate melt percolation in the depleted peridotitic protolith. The basaltic melts formed at high pressure are usually undersaturated in both ortho- and clinopyroxene at lower pressures (Kelemen et al. 1992). Because of cooling and dissolution of ortho- and clinopyroxene the melts change their composition and become saturated in one or both of those phases. Experimental results (e.g. Tursack & Liang 2012 and references therein) show that the same refers to alkaline basaltic silicate melts and that its reactive percolation in the peridotitic host leads to decrease of Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios of olivine and pyroxenes. Thus, the variation of relative volumes of olivine and orthopyroxene as well as the decrease of mg# of rock-forming silicates is well explained by reactive melt percolation in the peridotitic protolith consisting of high mg# olivine and pyroxenes (in the area studied by us that protolith was characterised by olivine

  19. A Comparative Study of Continental vs. Intraoceanic Arc Mantle Melting: Experimentally Determined Phase Relations of Hydrous, Primitive Melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, S.; Johnston, A.; Wallace, P. J.

    2009-12-01

    It is widely recognized that H2O and other volatiles play a crucial role in mantle melting in subduction zones. This work is a comparative study focused on determining the H2O-undersaturated, near-liquidus phase relations for two primitive subduction related compositions with the goal of determining the P-T-H2O conditions of mantle melting beneath arcs. These samples, JR-28, a calc-alkaline basalt from Volcan Jorullo, Mexico, and ID-16, a tholeiitic basalt from Okmok Volcano, Aleutian Islands, have major element compositions that indicate they are primary, mantle-derived melts. H2O-undersaturated piston cylinder experiments have been carried out at upper mantle pressures and temperatures (1.0-2.0 GPa and 1100-1350°C). The near-liquidus mineralogy of these two compositions has been mapped in P-T- H2O space in order to constrain the conditions under which these melts are multiply saturated with a mantle residue (lherzolite or harzburgite). Previous studies of dissolved volatiles in olivine-hosted melt inclusions have provided an estimate of pre-eruptive H2O-contents for JR-28 at ≥5 wt% H2O and experiments have been carried out accordingly. Preliminary results for JR-28 at 5 wt% H2O show olivine ± Cr-rich spinel on the liquidus at 1.0 GPa and enstatite as the liquidus phase at higher pressures (1.3 to 2.0 GPa). Ca-rich pyroxene appears in only one experiment 50°C below the liquidus at 1.5 GPa. These data show that JR-28 melts are multiply saturated with a harzburgite assemblage at ~1175°C and ~1.2 GPa at 5 wt% H2O. Experiments at 7 wt% H2O show similar results, although the olivine/Cr-spinel stability field expands at the expense of the enstatite stability field. Consequently, the olivine-enstatite cotectic is shifted to higher pressures and slightly cooler temperatures. The relatively high SiO2 content in the bulk rock (~52 wt% SiO2) supports the hypothesis that JR-28 last equilibrated with a depleted or harzburgite residue rather than a more fertile mantle

  20. Theoretical Prediction of Melting Relations in the Deep Mantle: the Phase Diagram Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belmonte, D.; Ottonello, G. A.; Vetuschi Zuccolini, M.; Attene, M.

    2016-12-01

    Despite the outstanding progress in computer technology and experimental facilities, understanding melting phase relations in the deep mantle is still an open challenge. In this work a novel computational scheme to predict melting relations at HP-HT by a combination of first principles DFT calculations, polymer chemistry and equilibrium thermodynamics is presented and discussed. The adopted theoretical framework is physically-consistent and allows to compute multi-component phase diagrams relevant to Earth's deep interior in a broad range of P-T conditions by a convex-hull algorithm for Gibbs free energy minimisation purposely developed for high-rank simplexes. The calculated phase diagrams are in turn used as a source of information to gain new insights on the P-T-X evolution of magmas in the deep mantle, providing some thermodynamic constraints to both present-day and early Earth melting processes. High-pressure melting curves of mantle silicates are also obtained as by-product of phase diagram calculation. Application of the above method to the MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (MAS) ternary system highlights as pressure effects are not only able to change the nature of melting of some minerals (like olivine and pyroxene) from eutectic to peritectic (and vice versa), but also simplify melting relations by drastically reducing the number of phases with a primary phase field at HP-HT conditions. It turns out that mineral phases like Majorite-Pyrope garnet and Anhydrous Phase B (Mg14Si5O24), which are often disregarded in modelling melting processes of mantle assemblages, are stable phases at solidus or liquidus conditions in a P-T range compatible with the mantle transition zone (i.e. P = 16 - 23 GPa and T = 2200 - 2700 °C) when their thermodynamic and thermophysical properties are properly assessed. Financial support to the Senior Author (D.B.) during his stay as Invited Scientist at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP, Paris) is warmly acknowledged.

  1. Melt-peridotite reactions in upwelling EM1-type eclogite bodies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søager, Nina; Holm, Paul Martin

    2013-01-01

    or simple variations in degrees of mantle melting. The difference is also clear in major elements where the low Nb/U basalts have markedly higher alkali contents but lower FeO and Ni than the high Nb/U basalts. Four melt components have been identified based on olivine fractionation corrected compositions...

  2. Geochemistry of Ua Huka basalts (Marquesas): partial melting variations and mantle source heterogeneity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ielsch, G.; Caroff, M.; Maury, R.C.; Cotten, J.; Barsczus, H.G.; Guillou, H.

    1998-01-01

    The main shield volcano of Ua Huka Island (Marquesas Archipelago) was emplaced between 2.2 and 2.4 Ma, and then affected by two caldera collapse events. After a 0.9 Ma-long gap, volcanic activity resumed with the emplacement of two smaller volcanoes in the southwest part of the island, between 1.5 and 0.75 Ma. The geochemical characteristics of Ua Huka mafic lavas, which range from olivine tholeiites to alkali basalts and basanites, are consistent with a temporal decrease in partial melting degrees of a heterogeneous mantle source. The associated temporal variation of the isotopic signatures of Ua Huka basalts implies a more important contribution of a Depleted MORB Mantle (DMM) end-member during the genesis of the youngest basanitic lavas. Such a variation was not previously documented in the Marquesas Archipelago. (authors)

  3. Consequences of Melt-Preferred Orientation for Magmatic Segregation in Deforming Mantle Rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, R. F.; Taylor-West, J.; Allwright, J.; Takei, Y.; Qi, C.; Kohlstedt, D. L.

    2014-12-01

    In partially molten regions of the mantle, deviatoric stresses cause large-scale deformation and mantle flow. The same stresses also lead to preferential wetting of coherently oriented grain boundaries [DK97, T10]. This alignment is called melt-preferred orientation (MPO). Because of the contrast between the physical properties of melt and solid grains, MPO has the potential to introduce anisotropy into the mechanical and transport properties of the liquid/solid aggregate. Here we consider the possible consequences for (and of) anisotropic viscosity and permeability of the partially molten aggregate. The consequences are evaluated in the context of laboratory experiments on partially molten rocks. The controlled experiments involve deformation of an initially uniform mixture of solid olivine and liquid basalt [KZK10]. The resultant patterns of melt segregation include two robust features: (i) melt segregation into bands with high melt fraction oriented at a low angle to the shear plane; and (ii) melt segregation associated with an imposed gradient in shear stress, in experiments where this is present. Although there are other reproducible features of experiments, these are the most robust and provide a challenge to models. A theoretical model for the effect of MPO on mantle viscosity under diffusion creep is available [TH09] and makes predictions that are consistent with laboratory experiments [TK13,KT13,QKKT14,AK14]. We review the mechanics of this model and the predictions for flow in torsional and pipe Poiseuille flow, showing a quantitative comparison with experimental results. Furthermore, it is logical to expect MPO to lead to anisotropy of permeability, and we present a general model of tensorial permeability. We demonstrate the consequences of this anisotropy for simple shear deformation of a partially molten rock. REFERENCES: DK97 = Daines & Kohlstedt (1997), JGR, 10.1029/97JB00393. T10 = Takei (2010), JGR, 10.1029/2009JB006568. KZK10 = King, Zimmerman

  4. Contrasting thermal and melting histories for segments of mantle lithosphere in the Nahlin ophiolite, British Columbia, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGoldrick, Siobhan; Canil, Dante; Zagorevski, Alex

    2018-03-01

    The Permo-Triassic Nahlin ophiolite is the largest and best-preserved ophiolite in the Canadian Cordillera of British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. The ophiolite is well-exposed along its 150 km length with mantle segments divisible into the Hardluck and Menatatuline massifs. Both massifs comprise mostly depleted spinel harzburgite (exchange temperatures in the mantle of the ophiolite also change systematically along strike with the degree of partial melt depletion. The temperatures recorded by REE and Ca-Mg exchange between coexisting pyroxenes require markedly higher peak temperatures and cooling rates for the Menatatuline massif (1250 °C, 0.1-0.01 °C/year) compared to the Hardluck massif (rates controlled by presence or absence of a crustal section above the mantle lithosphere, or by rapid exhumation along a detachment.

  5. Mapping mantle-melting anomalies in Baja California: a combined subaereal-submarine noble gas geochemistry new data set.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spelz, R. M.; Negrete-Aranda, R.; Hilton, D. R.; Virrueta, C.; Tellez, M.; Lupton, J. E.; Evans, L. J.; Clague, D. A.; Zierenberg, R. A.; Neumann, F.

    2017-12-01

    have been interpreted as low velocity anomalies associated with dynamic upwelling and active melt production. Data presented here coupled with analysis of other geochemical indicators of mantle degassing (e.g. CO2) will allow more detailed characterization of the extent and distribution of mantle melts in the region, facilitating assessment of the region's geothermal potential.

  6. Constraints on mantle melt geometries from body wave attenuation in the Salton Trough and Snake River Plain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrnes, J. S.; Bezada, M.

    2017-12-01

    Melt can be retained in the mantle at triple junctions between grain boundaries, be spread in thin films along two-grain boundaries, or be organized by shear into elongate melt-rich bands. Which of these geometries is most prevalent is unknown. This ambiguity makes the interpretation of anomalous seismic velocities and quality factors difficult, since different geometries would result in different mechanical effects. Here, we compare observations of seismic attenuation beneath the Salton Trough and the Snake River Plain; two regions where the presence of melt has been inferred. The results suggest that seismic attenuation is diagnostic of melt geometry. We measure the relative attenuation of P waves from deep focus earthquakes using a time-domain method. Even though the two regions are underlain by comparably strong low-velocity anomalies, their attenuation signature is very different. The upper mantle beneath the Salton Trough is sufficiently attenuating that the presence of melt must lower Qp, while attenuation beneath the Snake River Plain is not anomalous with respect to surrounding regions. These seemingly contradictory results can be reconciled if different melt geometries characterize each region. SKS splitting from the Salton Trough suggests that melt is organized into melt-rich bands, while this is not the case for the Snake River Plain. We infer that beneath the Snake River Plain melt is retained at triple junctions between grain boundaries, a geometry that is not predicted to cause seismic attenuation. More elongate geometries beneath the Salton Trough may cause seismic attenuation via the melt-squirt mechanism. In light of these results, we conclude that prior observations of low seismic velocities with somewhat high quality factors beneath the East Pacific Rise and Southern California suggest that melt does not organize into elongate bands across much of the asthenosphere.

  7. Slab and Sediment Melting during Subduction Initiation: Mantle Plagiogranites from the Oman Ophiolite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollinson, H. R.

    2014-12-01

    Granitoid dykes up to several hundred metres wide and 2 km long are found in depleted harzburgites in the mantle section of the Oman ophiolite. They vary in composition from tonalite to potassic granite and are generally more potassic than the crustal plagiogranites found within the sheeted dyke complex higher up within the ophiolite stratigraphy. Some granites are strongly peraluminous and contain garnet and andalusite. They are geochemically variable, some with REE that are relatively unfractionated ((La/Yb)n= 3.5-6.0, flat middle to heavy REE, steep light REE) to those which are highly fractionated ((La/Yb)n= 28-220). On primitive-mantle normalised plots some have very high concentrations of fluid-mobile elements - Cs, Rb, Th, U and Pb. Few have significant Ta-Nb anomalies. On the Ca-Fe-Mg-Ti discrimination diagram of Patino Douce (J. Petrol., 1999) whole-rock compositions define a spectrum between felsic-pelite derived melts and amphibolite-derived melts. There is a chemical similarity between the least REE fractionated plagiogranites (generally tonalites and granodiorites) and melts of an amphibolitic parent. This is supported by the occurrence of mafic xenoliths in some dykes, the presence of hornblende and highly calcic cores (up to An85) in some plagioclase grains. Trace element modelling using Oman Geotimes lavas as the starting composition indicates that melting took place in the garnet stability field, although enrichment in the melt in Cs, Rb, Ba and Pb suggests that there was another component present in addition to the mafic parent. Other plagiogranites (trondhjemites and granites) have a strongly peraluminous chemistry and mineralogy and geochemical similarities with the Himalayan leucogranites implying that they were derived from a sedimentary protolith. These mantle plagiogranites are more prevalent in the northern outcrops of the ophiolite. The volume of granitoid melt and the depth of melting preclude their derivation from the sole of the

  8. Widespread melt/rock interaction and seismic properties of the lithosphere above mantle plumes: Evidence from mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tommasi, A.; Godard, M.; Coromina, G.; Dautria, J. M.; Barczus, H.

    2003-04-01

    In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we studied the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from the Austral-Cook, Society and Marquesas islands. Olivine forsterite contents in our sp-peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83, the lowest Fo being observed in dunites and wehrlites. Yet, their high Ni content (up to 2500 ppm) precludes a cumulate origin. These rocks are rather interpreted as resulting from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution, the dunites indicating high melt-rock ratios. Moreover, wehrlites display poikiloblastic diopside enclosing corroded olivines. Late crystallization of clinopyroxene, also observed in lherzolites, may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction occurring at the boundary of a partial melting domain developed at the expenses of lithospheric mantle. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. Yet, crystal preferred orientations and thus seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Although dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO, very weak CPO are limited to a few dunites and wehrlites, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of intense magma-rock interaction due to localized flow or accumulation of magmas. Conversely, the compositional changes result in lower seismic velocities for P- and S-waves. Relative to normal mantle, seismic anomalies may attain -2.5 (2

  9. Polymineralic inclusions in mantle chromitites from the Oman ophiolite indicate a highly magnesian parental melt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollinson, Hugh; Mameri, Lucan; Barry, Tiffany

    2018-06-01

    Polymineralic inclusions interpreted as melt inclusions in chromite from the dunitic Moho Transition Zone in the Maqsad area of the Oman ophiolite have been analysed and compositions integrated using a rastering technique on the scanning electron microscope. The inclusions now comprise a range of inter-grown hydrous phases including pargasite, aspidolite, phlogopite and chlorite, indicating that the parental melts were hydrous. Average inclusion compositions for seven samples contain between 23.1 and 26.8 wt% MgO and 1.7-3.6 wt% FeO. Compositions were corrected to allow for the low FeO concentrations using coexisting olivine compositions. These suggest that the primary melt has between 20 and 22 wt% MgO and 7-9.7 wt% FeO and has an affinity with boninitic melts, although the melts have a higher Ti content than most boninites. Average rare earth element concentrations suggest that the melts were derived from a REE depleted mantle source although fluid-mobile trace elements indicate a more enriched source. Given the hydrous nature of the inclusions this enrichment could be fluid driven. An estimate of the melt temperature can be made from the results of homogenisation experiments on these inclusions and suggests 1300 °C, which implies for a harzburgite solidus, relatively shallow melting at depths of <50 km and is consistent with a boninitic origin. The current "basaltic" nature of the chromite host to highly magnesian melt inclusions suggests that the dunitic Moho Transition Zone operated as a reaction filter in which magnesian melts were transformed into basalts by the removal of high magnesian olivines, particularly in areas where the Moho Transition Zone is unusually thick. We propose therefore that podiform mantle chromitites, even those with an apparent MORB-like chemical signature, have crystallised from a highly magnesian parental melt. The data presented here strongly support the view that this took place in a subduction initiation setting.

  10. Amphibious Magnetotelluric Investigation of the Aleutian Arc: Mantle Melt Generation and Migration beneath Okmok Caldera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelenak, G.; Key, K.; Bennington, N. L.; Bedrosian, P.

    2015-12-01

    Understanding the factors controlling the release of volatiles from the downgoing slab, the subsequent generation of melt in the overlying mantle wedge, the migration of melt to the crust, and its evolution and emplacement within the crust are important for advancing our understanding of arc magmatism and crustal genesis. Because melt and aqueous fluids are a few orders of magnitude more electrically conductive than unmelted peridotite, the conductivity-mapping magnetotelluric (MT) method is well-suited to imaging fluids and melt beneath arc volcanoes. Here we present conductivity results from an amphibious MT profile crossing Okmok volcano in the central Aleutian arc. The Aleutian arc is one of the most volcanically active regions in North America, making it an ideal location for studying arc magnetism. Okmok volcano, located on the northeastern portion of Umnak Island, is among the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian chain. In addition to two caldera-forming events in the Holocene, numerous eruptions in the past century indicate a robust magmatic supply. Previous coarse resolution seismic studies have inferred a crustal magma reservoir. In order to investigate the role fluids play in melting the mantle wedge, how melts ascend through the corner flow regime of the mantle wedge, how melt migrates and is stored within the upper mantle and crust, and how this impacts explosive caldera forming eruptions, we carried out an amphibious geophysical survey across the arc in June-July 2015. Twenty-nine onshore MT stations and 10 offshore stations were collected in a 3D array covering Okmok, and 43 additional offshore MT stations completed a 300 km amphibious profile starting at the trench, crossing the forearc, arc and backarc. Thirteen onshore passive seismic stations were also installed and will remain in place for one year to supplement the twelve permanent stations on the island. Data collected by this project will be used to map seismic velocity and electrical

  11. Nickel and helium evidence for melt above the core-mantle boundary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herzberg, Claude; Asimow, Paul D; Ionov, Dmitri A; Vidito, Chris; Jackson, Matthew G; Geist, Dennis

    2013-01-17

    High (3)He/(4)He ratios in some basalts have generally been interpreted as originating in an incompletely degassed lower-mantle source. This helium source may have been isolated at the core-mantle boundary region since Earth's accretion. Alternatively, it may have taken part in whole-mantle convection and crust production over the age of the Earth; if so, it is now either a primitive refugium at the core-mantle boundary or is distributed throughout the lower mantle. Here we constrain the problem using lavas from Baffin Island, West Greenland, the Ontong Java Plateau, Isla Gorgona and Fernandina (Galapagos). Olivine phenocryst compositions show that these lavas originated from a peridotite source that was about 20 per cent higher in nickel content than in the modern mid-ocean-ridge basalt source. Where data are available, these lavas also have high (3)He/(4)He. We propose that a less-degassed nickel-rich source formed by core-mantle interaction during the crystallization of a melt-rich layer or basal magma ocean, and that this source continues to be sampled by mantle plumes. The spatial distribution of this source may be constrained by nickel partitioning experiments at the pressures of the core-mantle boundary.

  12. The Effects of Ridge Axis Width on Mantle Melting at Mid-Ocean Ridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montesi, L.; Magni, V.; Gaina, C.

    2017-12-01

    Mantle upwelling in response to plate divergence produces melt at mid-ocean ridges. Melt starts when the solidus is crossed and stops when conductive cooling overcomes heat advection associated with the upwelling. Most mid-ocean ridge models assume that divergence takes place only in a narrow zone that defines the ridge axis, resulting in a single upwelling. However, more complex patterns of divergence are occasionally observed. The rift axis can be 20 km wide at ultraslow spreading center. Overlapping spreading center contain two parallel axes. Rifting in backarc basins is sometimes organized as a series of parallel spreading centers. Distributing plate divergence over several rifts reduces the intensity of upwelling and limits melting. Can this have a significant effect on the expected crustal thickness and on the mode of melt delivery at the seafloor? We address this question by modeling mantle flow and melting underneath two spreading centers separated by a rigid block. We adopt a non-linear rheology that includes dislocation creep, diffusion creep and yielding and include hydrothermal cooling by enhancing thermal conductivity where yielding takes place. The crustal thickness decreases if the rifts are separated by 30 km or more but only if the half spreading rate is between 1 and 2 cm/yr. At melting depth, a single upwelling remains the norm until the separation of the rifts exceeds a critical value ranging from 15 km in the fastest ridges to more than 50 km at ultraslow spreading centers. The stability of the central upwelling is due to hydrothermal cooling, which prevents hot mantle from reaching the surface at each spreading center. When hydrothermal cooling is suppressed, or the spreading centers are sufficiently separated, the rigid block becomes extremely cold and separates two distinct, highly asymmetric upwellings that may focus melt beyond the spreading center. In that case, melt delivery might drive further and further the divergence centers, whereas

  13. Platinum Group Elements (PGE) geochemistry of komatiites and boninites from Dharwar Craton, India: Implications for mantle melting processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saha, Abhishek; Manikyamba, C.; Santosh, M.; Ganguly, Sohini; Khelen, Arubam C.; Subramanyam, K. S. V.

    2015-06-01

    , Os and Ru concentrations range from 0.6 to 2.2 ppb, 0.2 to 0.6 ppb and 1.4 to 2.6 ppb respectively in IPGE. The PGE abundances in Bababudan komatiites were controlled by olivine fractionation whereas that in Gadwal boninites were influenced by fractionation of chromite and sulphides. The Al-undepleted Bababudan komatiites are characterized by low CaO/Al2O3, (Gd/Yb)N, (La/Yb)N, with positive Zr, Hf, Ti anomalies and high Cu/Pd, Pd/Ir ratios at low Pd concentrations suggesting the derivation of parent magma by high degrees (>30%) partial melting of mantle under anhydrous conditions at shallow depth with garnet as a residual phase in the mantle restite. The komatiites are geochemically analogous to Al-undepleted Munro type komatiites and their PGE compositions are consistent with Alexo and Gorgona komatiites. The S-undersaturated character of Bababudan komatiites is attributed to decompression and assimilation of lower crustal materials during magma ascent and emplacement. In contrast, the higher Al2O3/TiO2, lower (Gd/Yb)N, for Gadwal boninites in combination with negative Nb, Zr, Hf, Ti anomalies and lower Cu/Pd at relatively higher Pd/Ir and Pd concentrations reflect high degree melting of refractory mantle wedge under hydrous conditions in an intraoceanic subduction zone setting. Higher Pd/Ir ratios and S-undersaturation of these boninites conform to influx of fluids derived by dehydration of subducted slab resulting into high fluid pressure and metasomatism of mantle wedge.

  14. Experimental constraints on metasomatism of mantle wedge peridotites by hybridized adakitic melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corgne, Alexandre; Schilling, Manuel E.; Grégoire, Michel; Langlade, Jessica

    2018-05-01

    In this study, a series of high-pressure (1.5 GPa) and high-temperature (1000-1300 °C) experiments were performed to investigate the petrological imprints of adakitic metasomatism on mantle wedge peridotites. Reaction couples were prepared using a powdered adakite from Cerro Pampa, Argentina (Mg# 0.7) placed in contact with a cored sample of medium-grained protogranular depleted spinel lherzolite from Pali Aike (Chile). Textural and chemical analyses of the run products allow us to identify key features of modal metasomatism by hybridized adakitic melts. The main changes in phase relations are associated with the following metasomatic reactions: incongruent dissolution of olivine and associated precipitation of secondary orthopyroxene, dissolution of primary spinel and subsequent replacement by secondary high-Cr spinel. In experiments with high water contents (9-12 wt%), precipitation of pargasitic amphibole also occurred, possibly at the expense of primary clinopyroxene. Neither phlogopite nor Ti-oxides were precipitated in any of these experiments. As expected, primary pyroxenes do not show evidence of being significantly altered following the interaction with the produced siliceous melts. Within the adakitic portion of the experimental charge, it was also observed the crystallization of secondary Ti-rich, Cr- and Na-poor diopsidic clinopyroxene, andesine plagioclase and, at low temperature, Fe-enriched secondary orthopyroxene. Considering textural criteria, we interpreted the formation of these minerals as crystallization products of the adakite component and not as true products of metasomatic reactions. The experimental results are used to discuss some of the petrological evidences presented to support modal metasomatism by slab-derived melts of mantle xenoliths extracted from several suprasubduction settings located around the Pacific Ring of Fire.

  15. Tracking the Martian Mantle Signature in Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions of Basaltic Shergottites Yamato 980459 and Tissint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, T. J.; Simon, J. I.; Jones, J. H.; Usui, T.; Moriwaki, R.; Economos, R.; Schmitt, A.; McKeegan, K.

    2014-01-01

    The Martian shergottite meteorites are basaltic to lherzolitic igneous rocks that represent a period of relatively young mantle melting and volcanism, approximately 600-150 Ma (e.g. [1,2]). Their isotopic and elemental composition has provided important constraints on the accretion, evolution, structure and bulk composition of Mars. Measurements of the radiogenic isotope and trace element concentrations of the shergottite meteorite suite have identified two end-members; (1) incompatible trace element enriched, with radiogenic Sr and negative epsilon Nd-143, and (2) incompatible traceelement depleted, with non-radiogenic Sr and positive epsilon 143-Nd(e.g. [3-5]). The depleted component represents the shergottite martian mantle. The identity of the enriched component is subject to debate, and has been proposed to be either assimilated ancient martian crust [3] or from enriched domains in the martian mantle that may represent a late-stage magma ocean crystallization residue [4,5]. Olivine-phyric shergottites typically have the highest Mg# of the shergottite group and represent near-primitive melts having experienced minimal fractional crystallization or crystal accumulation [6]. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI) in these shergottites represent the most chemically primitive components available to understand the nature of their source(s), melting processes in the martian mantle, and origin of enriched components. We present trace element compositions of olivine hosted melt inclusions in two depleted olivinephyric shergottites, Yamato 980459 (Y98) and Tissint (Fig. 1), and the mesostasis glass of Y98, using Secondary Ionization Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). We discuss our data in the context of understanding the nature and origin of the depleted martian mantle and the emergence of the enriched component.

  16. Short wavelength lateral variability of lithospheric mantle beneath the Middle Atlas (Morocco) as recorded by mantle xenoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Messbahi, Hicham; Bodinier, Jean-Louis; Vauchez, Alain; Dautria, Jean-Marie; Ouali, Houssa; Garrido, Carlos J.

    2015-05-01

    The Middle Atlas is a region where xenolith-bearing volcanism roughly coincides with the maximum of lithospheric thinning beneath continental Morocco. It is therefore a key area to study the mechanisms of lithospheric thinning and constrain the component of mantle buoyancy that is required to explain the Moroccan topography. Samples from the two main xenolith localities, the Bou Ibalghatene and Tafraoute maars, have been investigated for their mineralogy, microstructures, crystallographic preferred orientation, and whole-rock and mineral compositions. While Bou Ibalghatene belongs to the main Middle Atlas volcanic field, in the 'tabular' Middle Atlas, Tafraoute is situated about 45 km away, on the North Middle Atlas Fault that separates the 'folded' Middle Atlas, to the South-East, from the 'tabular' Middle Atlas, to the North-West. Both xenolith suites record infiltration of sub-lithospheric melts that are akin to the Middle Atlas volcanism but were differentiated to variable degrees as a result of interactions with lithospheric mantle. However, while the Bou Ibalghatene mantle was densely traversed by high melt fractions, mostly focused in melt conduits, the Tafraoute suite records heterogeneous infiltration of smaller melt fractions that migrated diffusively, by intergranular porous flow. As a consequence the lithospheric mantle beneath Bou Ibalghaten was strongly modified by melt-rock interactions in the Cenozoic whereas the Tafraoute mantle preserves the record of extensional lithospheric thinning, most likely related to Mesozoic rifting. The two xenolith suites illustrate distinct mechanisms of lithospheric thinning: extensional thinning in Tafraoute, where hydrous incongruent melting triggered by decompression probably played a key role in favouring strain localisation, vs. thermal erosion in Bou Ibalghatene, favoured and guided by a dense network of melt conduits. Our results lend support to the suggestion that lithospheric thinning beneath the Atlas

  17. Silicate melts density, buoyancy relations and the dynamics of magmatic processes in the upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Valle, Carmen; Malfait, Wim J.

    2016-04-01

    Although silicate melts comprise only a minor volume fraction of the present day Earth, they play a critical role on the Earth's geochemical and geodynamical evolution. Their physical properties, namely the density, are a key control on many magmatic processes, including magma chamber dynamics and volcanic eruptions, melt extraction from residual rocks during partial melting, as well as crystal settling and melt migration. However, the quantitative modeling of these processes has been long limited by the scarcity of data on the density and compressibility of volatile-bearing silicate melts at relevant pressure and temperature conditions. In the last decade, new experimental designs namely combining large volume presses and synchrotron-based techniques have opened the possibility for determining in situ the density of a wide range of dry and volatile-bearing (H2O and CO2) silicate melt compositions at high pressure-high temperature conditions. In this contribution we will illustrate some of these progresses with focus on recent results on the density of dry and hydrous felsic and intermediate melt compositions (rhyolite, phonolite and andesite melts) at crustal and upper mantle conditions (up to 4 GPa and 2000 K). The new data on felsic-intermediate melts has been combined with in situ data on (ultra)mafic systems and ambient pressure dilatometry and sound velocity data to calibrate a continuous, predictive density model for hydrous and CO2-bearing silicate melts with applications to magmatic processes down to the conditions of the mantle transition zone (up to 2773 K and 22 GPa). The calibration dataset consist of more than 370 density measurements on high-pressure and/or water-and CO2-bearing melts and it is formulated in terms of the partial molar properties of the oxide components. The model predicts the density of volatile-bearing liquids to within 42 kg/m3 in the calibration interval and the model extrapolations up to 3000 K and 100 GPa are in good agreement

  18. The evolution and ascent paths of mantle xenolith-bearing magma: Observations and insights from Cenozoic basalts in Southeast China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Pu; Niu, Yaoling; Guo, Pengyuan; Cui, Huixia; Ye, Lei; Liu, Jinju

    2018-06-01

    Studies have shown that mantle xenolith-bearing magmas must ascend rapidly to carry mantle xenoliths to the surface. It has thus been inferred inadvertently that such rapid ascending melt must have undergone little crystallization or evolution. However, this inference is apparently inconsistent with the widespread observation that xenolith-bearing alkali basalts are variably evolved with Mg# ≤72. In this paper, we discuss this important, yet overlooked, petrological problem and offer new perspectives with evidence. We analyzed the Cenozoic mantle xenolith-bearing alkali basalts from several locations in Southeast China that have experienced varying degrees of fractional crystallization (Mg# = 48-67). The variably evolved composition of host alkali basalts is not in contradiction with rapid ascent, but rather reflects inevitability of crystallization during ascent. Thermometry calculations for clinopyroxene (Cpx) megacrysts give equilibrium temperatures of 1238-1390 °C, which is consistent with the effect of conductive cooling and melt crystallization during ascent because TMelt > TLithosphere. The equilibrium pressure (18-27 kbar) of these Cpx megacrysts suggests that the crystallization takes place under lithospheric mantle conditions. The host melt must have experienced limited low-pressure residence in the shallower levels of lithospheric mantle and crust. This is in fact consistent with the rapid ascent of the host melt to bring mantle xenoliths to the surface.

  19. Uranium-series disequilibria of inflated sections of the Juan de Fuca Ridge: Implications for mantle melting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dreyer, B. M.; Gill, J. B.; Ramos, F. C.; Clague, D. A.; Scott, S. R.

    2010-12-01

    diversity in Endeavour basalts, Th/U variance is low, as in Axial basalts. However, there are differences in (230Th)/(232Th). Seventeen samples from Axial Seamount have (230Th)/(232Th) 1] are much higher at Endeavour (20-30%) than Axial Seamount (5-20%) and the rest of the JdFR (8-14%) but more similar to values of the adjacent Gorda Ridge to the south (up to ~25%). If differences in melt column characteristics (i.e., porosity, lithology, potential temperature) are similar along the JdFR, then ingrowth melt models predict slower upwelling of mantle-derived melts (e.g., longer residence time in the melt column) at Endeavour. Alternatively, Endeavour lavas may be generated from a more pyroxenitic (lherzolite) mantle where large degrees of disequilibria can be generated.

  20. Dynamics of Melting and Melt Migration as Inferred from Incompatible Trace Element Abundance in Abyssal Peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Q.; Liang, Y.

    2008-12-01

    To better understand the melting processes beneath the mid-ocean ridge, we developed a simple model for trace element fractionation during concurrent melting and melt migration in an upwelling steady-state mantle column. Based on petrologic considerations, we divided the upwelling mantle into two regions: a double- lithology upper region where high permeability dunite channels are embedded in a lherzolite/harzburgite matrix, and a single-lithology lower region that consists of partially molten lherzolite. Melt generated in the single lithology region migrates upward through grain-scale diffuse porous flow, whereas melt in the lherzolite/harzburgite matrix in the double-lithology region is allowed to flow both vertically through the overlying matrix and horizontally into its neighboring dunite channels. There are three key dynamic parameters in our model: degree of melting experienced by the single lithology column (Fd), degree of melting experienced by the double lithology column (F), and a dimensionless melt suction rate (R) that measures the accumulated rate of melt extraction from the matrix to the channel relative to the accumulated rate of matrix melting. In terms of trace element fractionation, upwelling and melting in the single lithology column is equivalent to non-modal batch melting (R = 0), whereas melting and melt migration in the double lithology region is equivalent to a nonlinear combination of non-modal batch and fractional melting (0 abyssal peridotite, we showed, with the help of Monte Carlo simulations, that it is difficult to invert for all three dynamic parameters from a set of incompatible trace element data with confidence. However, given Fd, it is quite possible to constrain F and R from incompatible trace element abundances in residual peridotite. As an illustrative example, we used the simple melting model developed in this study and selected REE and Y abundance in diopside from abyssal peridotites to infer their melting and melt migration

  1. Widespread melt/rock interaction and seismic properties of the lithosphere above mantle plumes: A petrological and microstructural study of mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tommasi, A.; Godard, M.

    2002-12-01

    In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we studied the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from the Austral-Cook, Society and Marquesas islands. Olivine forsterite contents in our sp-peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83, the lowest Fo being observed in dunites and wehrlites. Yet, their high Ni content (up to 2500 ppm) precludes a cumulate origin. These rocks are rather interpreted as resulting from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution, the dunites indicating high melt-rock ratios. Moreover, wehrlites display poikiloblastic diopside enclosing corroded olivines. Late crystallization of clinopyroxene, also observed in lherzolites, may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction occurring at the boundary of a partial melting domain developed at the expenses of lithospheric mantle. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. Yet, crystal preferred orientations and thus seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Although dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO, very weak CPO are limited to a few dunites and wehrlites, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of intense magma-rock interaction due to localized flow or accumulation of magmas. Conversely, the compositional changes result in lower seismic velocities for P- and S-waves. Relative to normal mantle, seismic anomalies may attain -2

  2. Experience melting through the Earth's lower mantle via LH-DAC experiments on MgO-SiO2 and CaO-MgO-SiO2 systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baron, Marzena A.; Lord, Oliver T.; Walter, Michael J.; Trønnes, Reidar G.

    2015-04-01

    The large low shear-wave velocity provinces (LLSVPs) and ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) of the lowermost mantle [1] are likely characterized by distinct chemical compositions, combined with temperature anomalies. The heterogeneities may have originated by fractional crystallization of the magma ocean during the earliest history of the Earth [2,3] and/or the continued accretion at the CMB of subducted basaltic oceanic crust [4,5]. These structures and their properties control the distribution and magnitude of the heat flow at the CMB and therefore the convective dynamics and evolution of the whole Earth. To determine the properties of these structures and thus interpret the seismic results, a good understanding of the melting phase relations of relevant basaltic and peridotitic compositions are required throughout the mantle pressure range. The melting phase relations of lower mantle materials are only crudely known. Recent experiments on various natural peridotitic and basaltic compositions [6-8] have given wide ranges of solidus and liquidus temperatures at lower mantle pressures. The melting relations for MgO, MgSiO3 and compositions along the MgO-SiO2 join from ab initio theory [e.g. 9,10] is broadly consistent with a thermodynamic model for eutectic melt compositions through the lower mantle based on melting experiments in the MgO-SiO2 system at 16-26 GPa [3]. We have performed a systematic study of the melting phase relations of analogues for peridotitic mantle and subducted basaltic crust in simple binary and ternary systems that capture the major mineralogy of Earth's lower mantle, using the laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LH-DAC) technique at 25-100 GPa. We determined the eutectic melting temperatures involving the following liquidus mineral assemblages: 1. bridgmanite (bm) + periclase (pc) and bm + silica in the system MgO-SiO2 (MS), corresponding to model peridotite and basalt compositions 2. bm + pc + Ca-perovskite (cpv) and bm + silica + cpv in the

  3. Relative contributions of crust and mantle to the origin of the Bijli ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    ponent with low CaO and Al2O3 to give rise to the hybrid Bijli melts. ... Bimodal volcanism; high-silica melts; granulite melting; crust-mantle ...... The Zr solubility in our melts (∼ 400 ppm) with a low ..... The silicic melts have a higher permeability.

  4. Deformation mechanisms and melt nano-structures in experimentally deformed olivine-orthopyroxene rocks with low melt fractions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kloe, P.A. de

    2001-01-01

    The major part of the Earth’s upper mantle is thought to be solid, with some regions in the mantle where the rocks contain a small melt fraction These partially molten rocks are associated with important geological processes such as magma production beneath mid-oceanic ridges and may also play an

  5. Thermodynamic properties, melting temperature and viscosity of the mantles of Super Earths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamenkovic, V.; Spohn, T.; Breuer, D.

    2010-12-01

    The recent dicscovery of extrasolar planets with radii of about twice the Earth radius and masses of several Earth masses such as e.g., Corot-7b (approx 5Mearth and 1.6Rearth, Queloz et al. 2009) has increased the interest in the properties of rock at extremely high pressures. While the pressure at the Earth’s core-mantle boundary is about 135GPa, pressures at the base of the mantles of extraterrestrial rocky planets - if these are at all differentiated into mantles and cores - may reach Tera Pascals. Although the properties and the mineralogy of rock at extremely high pressure is little known there have been speculations about mantle convection, plate tectonics and dynamo action in these “Super-Earths”. We assume that the mantles of these planets can be thought of as consisting of perovskite but we discuss the effects of the post-perovskite transition and of MgO. We use the Keane equation of state and the Slater relation (see e.g., Stacey and Davies 2004) to derive an infinite pressure value for the Grüneisen parameter of 1.035. To derive this value we adopted the infinite pressure limit for K’ (pressure derivative of the bulk modulus) of 2.41 as derived by Stacey and Davies (2004) by fitting PREM. We further use the Lindeman law to calculate the melting curve. We gauge the melting curve using the available experimental data for pressures up to 120GPa. The melting temperature profile reaches 6000K at 135GPa and increases to temperatures between 12,000K and 24,000K at 1.1TPa with a preferred value of 21,000K. We find the adiabatic temperature increase to reach 2,500K at 135GPa and 5,400K at 1.1TPa. To calculate the pressure dependence of the viscosity we assume that the rheology is diffusion controlled and calculate the partial derivative with respect to pressure of the activation enthalpy. We cast the partial derivative in terms of an activation volume and use the semi-empirical homologous temperature scaling (e.g., Karato 2008). We find that the

  6. Coupled petrological-geodynamical modeling of a compositionally heterogeneous mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rummel, Lisa; Kaus, Boris J. P.; White, Richard W.; Mertz, Dieter F.; Yang, Jianfeng; Baumann, Tobias S.

    2018-01-01

    Self-consistent geodynamic modeling that includes melting is challenging as the chemistry of the source rocks continuously changes as a result of melt extraction. Here, we describe a new method to study the interaction between physical and chemical processes in an uprising heterogeneous mantle plume by combining a geodynamic code with a thermodynamic modeling approach for magma generation and evolution. We pre-computed hundreds of phase diagrams, each of them for a different chemical system. After melt is extracted, the phase diagram with the closest bulk rock chemistry to the depleted source rock is updated locally. The petrological evolution of rocks is tracked via evolving chemical compositions of source rocks and extracted melts using twelve oxide compositional parameters. As a result, a wide variety of newly generated magmatic rocks can in principle be produced from mantle rocks with different degrees of depletion. The results show that a variable geothermal gradient, the amount of extracted melt and plume excess temperature affect the magma production and chemistry by influencing decompression melting and the depletion of rocks. Decompression melting is facilitated by a shallower lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and an increase in the amount of extracted magma is induced by a lower critical melt fraction for melt extraction and/or higher plume temperatures. Increasing critical melt fractions activates the extraction of melts triggered by decompression at a later stage and slows down the depletion process from the metasomatized mantle. Melt compositional trends are used to determine melting related processes by focusing on K2O/Na2O ratio as indicator for the rock type that has been molten. Thus, a step-like-profile in K2O/Na2O might be explained by a transition between melting metasomatized and pyrolitic mantle components reproducible through numerical modeling of a heterogeneous asthenospheric mantle source. A potential application of the developed method

  7. Solvent free low-melt viscosity imide oligomers and thermosetting polymide composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, Chun-Hua (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    .[.This invention relates to the composition and a solvent-free process for preparing novel imide oligomers and polymers specifically formulated with effective amounts of a dianhydride such as 2,3,3',4-biphenyltetra carboxylic dianydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic diamine and an endcapped of 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260-280.degree. C. When the imide oligomer melt is cured at about 371.degree. C. in a press or autoclave under 100-500 psi, the melt resulted in a thermoset polyimide having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) equal to and above 310.degree. C. A novel feature of this process is that the monomers; namely the dianhydrides, diamines and the endcaps, are melt processable to form imide oligomers at temperatures ranging between 232-280.degree. C. (450-535.degree. F.) without any solvent. These low-melt imide oligomers can be easily processed by resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or the resin infusion process with fiber preforms e.g. carbon, glass or quartz preforms to produce polyimide matrix composites with 288-343.degree. C. (550-650.degree. F.) high temperature performance capability..]. .Iadd.This invention relates to compositions and a solvent-free reaction process for preparing imide oligomers and polymers specifically derived from effective amounts of dianhydrides such as 2,3,3',4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic polyamine and an end-cap such as 4-phenylethynyphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260.degree. C.-280.degree. C..Iaddend.

  8. Interactions between magma and the lithospheric mantle during Cenozoic rifting in Central Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Romain; Elkins-Tanton, Linda T.

    2010-05-01

    During the Cenozoic, extensive intraplate volcanic activity occurred throughout Central Europe. Volcanic eruptions extend over France (the Massif Central), central Germany (Eifel, Vogelsberg, Rhön; Heldburg), the Czech Republic (the Eger graben) and SW Poland (Lower Silesia), a region ~1,200 km wide. The origin of this predominantly alkaline intraplate magmatism is often genetically linked to one or several mantle plumes, but there is no convincing evidence for this. We have measured Pb isotope ratios, together with major and trace elements, in a representative set of mafic to felsic igneous rocks from the intra-plate Cenozoic Rhön Mts. and the Heldburg dike swarm in order to gain insight into the melting source and petrogenetic history of these melts. Three different mafic rock types (tholeiitic basalt, alkali basalt, basanite) were distinguished based on petrography and geochemistry within the investigated areas. Except for the lherzolite-bearing phonolite from the Veste Heldburg all other evolved magmas are trachytes. REE geochemistry and calculated partial melting modeling experiments for the three mafic magma types point to different degrees of partial melting in a garnet-bearing mantle source. In addition a new version of the ternary Th-Hf-Ta diagram is presented in this study as a useful petrological tool. This diagram is not only able to define potentially involved melting source end-members (e.g. asthenosphere, sub-continental lithospheric mantle and continental crust) but also interactions between these members are illustrated. An advantage of this diagram compared to partial melting degree sensitive multi-element diagrams is that a ternary diagram is a closed system. An earlier version of this diagram has been recently used to establish the nature and extent of crust mantle melt interaction of volcanic rifted margins magmas (Meyer et al. 2009). The Th-Hf-Ta geochemistry of the investigated magmas is similar to spinel and garnet xenoliths from different

  9. Glaciation control of melting rates in the mantle: U-Th systematics of young basalts from Southern Siberia and Central Mongolia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasskazov, S.; Chebykin, E.

    2012-04-01

    Eastern Sayans, Siberia and Hangay, Central Mongolia are mountainous uplifts effected by Quaternary volcanism, but only the former area was covered by glaciers that were as thick as 500 m. Glaciation time intervals were marked by moraines and sub-glacial hyaloclastite-bearing volcanic edifices, whereas interglacial ones were exhibited by sub-aerial "valley" flows and cinder cones. To estimate temporal variations of maximum rates of melting and mantle upwelling in the glacial and glacial-free areas, we measured radionuclides of the U-Th system for 74 samples of the Middle-Late Pleistocene through Holocene basalts by ICP-MS technique (Chebykin et al. Russian Geol. Geophys. 2004. 45: 539-556) using mass-spectrometer Agilent 7500ce. The obtained U-Th isochron ages for the Pleistocene volcanic units in the age interval of the last 400 Kyr are mostly consistent with results of K-Ar dating. The measured (230Th/238U) ratios for the Holocene basalts from both areas are within the same range of 1.08-1.16 (parentheses denote units of activity), whereas the 50 Kyr lavas yield, respectively, the higher and lower initial (230Th0/238U) ratios (1.18-1.46 and 1.05-1.13). This discrepancy demonstrates contrast maximum rates of melting in conventional garnet peridotite sources. We suggest that this dynamical feature was provided by the abrupt Late Pleistocene deglaciation that caused the mantle decompression expressed by the earlier increasing melting beneath Eastern Sayans than beneath Hangay. In the last 400 Kyr, magmatic liquids from both Eastern Sayans and Hangay showed the overall temporal decreasing (230Th0/238U) (i.e. relative increasing rates of melting and upwelling of the mantle) with the systematically lower isotopic ratios (i.e. increased mantle activity) in the former area than in the latter. The 400 Kyr phonotephrites in Hangay showed elevated concentrations of Th (6-8 ppm) and Th/U (3.7-3.9). The high (230Th0/238U) (4.3-6.0) reflected slow fractional melting

  10. REE and Isotopic Compositions of Lunar Basalts Demonstrate Partial Melting of Hybridized Mantle Sources after Cumulate Overturn is Required

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dygert, N. J.; Liang, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Lunar basalts maintain an important record of the composition of the lunar interior. Much of our understanding of the Moon's early evolution comes from studying their petrogenesis. Recent experimental work has advanced our knowledge of major and trace element fractionation during lunar magma ocean (LMO) crystallization [e.g., 1-3], which produced heterogeneous basalt sources in the Moon's mantle. With the new experimental constraints, we can evaluate isotopic and trace element signatures in lunar basalts in unprecedented detail, refining inferences about the Moon's dynamic history. Two petrogenetic models are invoked to explain the compositions of the basalts. The assimilation model argues they formed as primitive melts of early LMO cumulates that assimilated late LMO cumulates as they migrated upward. The cumulate overturn model argues that dense LMO cumulates sank into the lunar interior, producing hybridized sources that melted to form the basalts. Here we compare predicted Ce/Yb and Hf and Nd isotopes of partial melts of LMO cumulates with measured compositions of lunar basalts to evaluate whether they could have formed by end-member petrogenetic models. LMO crystallization models suggest all LMO cumulates have chondrite normalized Ce/Yb 1.5; these could not have formed by assimilation of any LMO cumulate or residual liquid (or KREEP basalt, which has isotopically negative ɛNd and ɛHf). In contrast, basalt REE patterns and isotopes can easily be modeled assuming partial melting of hybridized mantle sources, indicating overturn may be required. A chemical requirement for overturn independently confirms that late LMO cumulates are sufficiently low in viscosity to sink into the lunar interior, as suggested by recent rock deformation experiments [4]. Overturned, low viscosity late LMO cumulates would be relatively stable around the core [5]. High Ce/Yb basalts require that overturned cumulates were mixed back into the overlying mantle by convection within a few

  11. Redox Interactions between Iron and Carbon in Planetary Mantles: Implications for Degassing and Melting Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, A.; Righter, K.

    2009-01-01

    Carbon stability in planetary mantles has been studied by numerous authors because it is thought to be the source of C-bearing atmospheres and of C-rich lavas observed at the planetary surface. In the Earth, carbonaceous peridotites and eclogites compositions have been experimentally studied at mantle conditions [1] [2] [3]. [4] showed that the fO2 variations observed in martian meteorites can be explained by polybaric graphite-CO-CO2 equilibria in the Martian mantle. Based on thermodynamic calculations [4] and [5] inferred that the stable form of carbon in the source regions of the Martian basalts should be graphite (and/or diamond), and equilibrium with melts would be a source of CO2 for the martian atmosphere. Considering the high content of iron in the Martian mantle (approx.18.0 wt% FeO; [6]), compared to Earth s mantle (8.0 wt% FeO; [7]) Fe/C redox interactions should be studied in more detail.

  12. Continental basalts record the crust-mantle interaction in oceanic subduction channel: A geochemical case study from eastern China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Zheng; Zheng, Yong-Fei

    2017-09-01

    Continental basalts, erupted in either flood or rift mode, usually show oceanic island basalts (OIB)-like geochemical compositions. Although their depletion in Sr-Nd isotope compositions is normally ascribed to contributions from the asthenospheric mantle, their enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) is generally associated with variable enrichments in the Sr-Nd isotope compositions. This indicates significant contributions from crustal components such as igneous oceanic crust, lower continental crust and seafloor sediment. Nevertheless, these crustal components were not incorporated into the mantle sources of continental basalts in the form of solidus rocks. Instead they were processed into metasomatic agents through low-degree partial melting in order to have the geochemical fractionation of the largest extent to achieve the enrichment of LILE and LREE in the metasomatic agents. Therefore, the mantle sources of continental basalts were generated by metasomatic reaction of the depleted mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) mantle with hydrous felsic melts. Nevertheless, mass balance considerations indicate differential contributions from the mantle and crustal components to the basalts. While the depleted MORB mantle predominates the budget of major elements, the crustal components predominate the budget of melt-mobile incompatible trace elements and their pertinent radiogenic isotopes. These considerations are verified by model calculations that are composed of four steps in an ancient oceanic subduction channel: (1) dehydration of the subducting crustal rocks at subarc depths, (2) anataxis of the dehydrated rocks at postarc depths, (3) metasomatic reaction of the depleted MORB mantle peridotite with the felsic melts to generate ultramafic metasomatites in the lower part of the mantle wedge, and (4) partial melting of the metasomatites for basaltic magmatism. The composition of metasomatites is quantitatively dictated by

  13. Lithosphere erosion atop mantle plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agrusta, R.; Arcay, D.; Tommasi, A.

    2012-12-01

    Mantle plumes are traditionally proposed to play an important role in lithosphere erosion. Seismic images beneath Hawaii and Cape Verde show a lithosphere-asthenosphere-boundary (LAB) up to 50 km shallower than the surroundings. However, numerical models show that unless the plate is stationary the thermo-mechanical erosion of the lithosphere does not exceed 30 km. We use 2D petrological-thermo-mechanical numerical models based on a finite-difference method on a staggered grid and marker in cell method to study the role of partial melting on the plume-lithosphere interaction. A homogeneous peridotite composition with a Newtonian temperature- and pressure-dependent viscosity is used to simulate both the plate and the convective mantle. A constant velocity, ranging from 5 to 12.5 cm/yr, is imposed at the top of the plate. Plumes are created by imposing a thermal anomaly of 150 to 350 K on a 50 km wide domain at the base of the model (700 km depth); the plate right above the thermal anomaly is 40 Myr old. Partial melting is modeled using batch-melting solidus and liquidus in anhydrous conditions. We model the progressive depletion of peridotite and its effect on partial melting by assuming that the melting degree only strictly increases through time. Melt is accumulated until a porosity threshold is reached and the melt in excess is then extracted. The rheology of the partially molten peridotite is determined using viscous constitutive relationship based on a contiguity model, which enables to take into account the effects of grain-scale melt distribution. Above a threshold of 1%, melt is instantaneously extracted. The density varies as a function of partial melting degree and extraction. Besides, we analyze the kinematics of the plume as it impacts a moving plate, the dynamics of time-dependent small-scale convection (SSC) instabilities developing in the low-viscosity layer formed by spreading of hot plume material at the lithosphere base, and the resulting thermal

  14. Reworking of Archean mantle in the NE Siberian craton by carbonatite and silicate melt metasomatism: Evidence from a carbonate-bearing, dunite-to-websterite xenolith suite from the Obnazhennaya kimberlite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ionov, Dmitri A.; Doucet, Luc S.; Xu, Yigang; Golovin, Alexander V.; Oleinikov, Oleg B.

    2018-03-01

    The Obnazhennaya kimberlite in the NE Siberian craton hosts a most unusual cratonic xenolith suite, with common rocks rich in pyroxenes and garnet, and no sheared peridotites. We report petrographic and chemical data for whole rocks (WR) and minerals of 20 spinel and garnet peridotites from Obnazhennaya with Re-depletion Os isotope ages of 1.8-2.9 Ga (Ionov et al., 2015a) as well as 2 pyroxenites. The garnet-bearing rocks equilibrated at 1.6-2.8 GPa and 710-1050 °C. Some xenoliths contain vermicular spinel-pyroxene aggregates with REE patterns in clinopyroxene mimicking those of garnet. The peridotites show significant scatter of Mg# (0.888-0.924), Cr2O3 (0.2-1.4 wt.%) and high NiO (0.3-0.4 wt.%). None are pristine melting residues. Low-CaO-Al2O3 (≤0.9 wt.%) dunites and harzburgites are melt-channel materials. Peridotites with low to moderate Al2O3 (0.4-1.8 wt.%) usually have CaO > Al2O3, and some have pockets of calcite texturally equilibrated with olivine and garnet. Such carbonates, exceptional in mantle xenoliths and reported here for the first time for the Siberian mantle, provide direct evidence for modal makeover and Ca and LREE enrichments by ephemeral carbonate-rich melts. Peridotites rich in CaO and Al2O3 (2.7-8.0 wt.%) formed by reaction with silicate melts. We infer that the mantle lithosphere beneath Obnazhennaya, initially formed in the Mesoarchean, has been profoundly modified. Pervasive inter-granular percolation of highly mobile and reactive carbonate-rich liquids may have reduced the strength of the mantle lithosphere leading the way for reworking by silicate melts. The latest events before the kimberlite eruption were the formation of the carbonate-phlogopite pockets, fine-grained pyroxenite veins and spinel-pyroxene symplectites. The reworked lithospheric sections are preserved at Obnazhennaya, but similar processes could erode lithospheric roots in the SE Siberian craton (Tok) and the North China craton, where ancient melting residues and

  15. A micro-scale investigation of melt production and extraction in the upper mantle based on silicate melt pockets in ultramafic xenoliths from the Bakony-Balaton Highland Volcanic Field (Western Hungary)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bali, Eniko; Zanetti, A.; Szabo, C.

    2008-01-01

    Mantle xenoliths in Neogene alkali basalts of the Bakony-Balaton Highland Volcanic Field (Western Hungary) frequently have melt pockets that contain silicate minerals, glass, and often carbonate globules. Textural, geochemical and thermobarometric data indicate that the melt pockets formed at rel...

  16. Origin of Fe-rich lherzolites and wehrlites from Tok, SE Siberia by reactive melt percolation in refractory mantle peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ionov, Dmitri A.; Chanefo, Ingrid; Bodinier, Jean-Louis

    2005-10-01

    Lherzolite-wehrlite (LW) series xenoliths from the quaternary Tok volcanic field in the southeastern Siberian craton are distinguished from the more common lherzolite-harzburgite (LH) series by (a) low Mg numbers (0.84-0.89) at high modal olivine (66-84%) and (b) widespread replacement of orthopyroxene (0-12%) and spinel by clinopyroxene (7-22%). The LW series peridotites are typically enriched in Ca, Fe, Mn and Ti, and depleted in Si, Ni and Cr relative to refractory LH series rocks (Mg number ≥0.89), which are metasomatised partial melting residues. Numerical modelling of Fe-Mg solid/liquid exchange during melt percolation demonstrates that LW series rocks can form by reaction of host refractory peridotites with evolved (Mg numbers 0.6-0.7), silica-undersaturated silicate melts at high melt/rock ratios, which replace orthopyroxene with clinopyroxene and decrease Mg numbers. This process is most likely related to underplating and fractionation of basaltic magma in the shallow mantle, which also produced olivine-clinopyroxene cumulates found among the Tok xenoliths.

  17. Mantle ingredients for making the fingerprint of Etna alkaline magmas: implications for shallow partial melting within the complex geodynamic framework of Eastern Sicily

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viccaro, Marco; Zuccarello, Francesco

    2017-09-01

    Mantle ingredients responsible for the signature of Etnean Na- and K-alkaline magmas and their relationships with short-term geochemical changes of the erupted volcanic rocks have been constrained through a partial melting model that considers major, trace elements and water contents in the produced liquids. Characteristics of the Etnean source for alkaline magmas have been supposed similar to those of the mantle accessible at a regional scale, namely below the Hyblean Plateau. The assumption that the Etnean mantle resembles the one beneath the Hyblean Plateau is justified by the large geochemical affinities of the Etnean hawaiites/K-trachybasalts and the Hyblean hawaiites/alkali basalts for what concerns both trace elements and isotope systematics. We have modeled partial melting of a composite source constituted by two rock types, inferred by lithological and geochemical features of the Hyblean xenoliths: 1) a spinel lherzolite bearing metasomatic, hydrous phases and 2) a garnet pyroxenite in form of veins intruded into the spinel lherzolite. The partial melting modeling has been applied to each rock type and the resulting primary liquids have been then mixed in various proportions. These compositions have been compared with some Etnean alkaline magmas of the post ∼60 ka activity, which were firstly re-equilibrated to mantle conditions through mass balance calculations. Our results put into evidence that concentrations of major and trace elements along with the water obtained from the modeling are remarkably comparable with those of Etnean melts re-equilibrated at primary conditions. Different proportions of the spinel lherzolite with variable modal contents of metasomatic phases and of the garnet pyroxenite can therefore account for the signature of a large spectrum of Etnean alkaline magmas and for their geochemical variability through time, emphasizing the crucial role played by compositional small-scale heterogeneity of the source. These heterogeneities are

  18. Ultra-low velocity zone heterogeneities at the core-mantle boundary from diffracted PKKPab waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiaolong; Sun, Xinlei

    2017-08-01

    Diffracted waves around Earth's core could provide important information of the lowermost mantle that other seismic waves may not. We examined PKKPab diffraction waves from 52 earthquakes occurring at the western Pacific region and recorded by USArray to probe the velocity structure along the core-mantle boundary (CMB). These diffracted waves emerge at distances up to 10° past the theoretical cutoff epicentral distance and show comparable amplitudes. We measured the ray parameters of PKKPab diffraction waves by Radon transform analysis that is suitable for large-aperture arrays. These ray parameters show a wide range of values from 4.250 to 4.840 s/deg, suggesting strong lateral heterogeneities in sampling regions at the base of the mantle. We further estimated the P-wave velocity variations by converting these ray parameters and found the CMB regions beneath the northwestern edge of African Anomaly (Ritsma et al. in Science 286:1925-1928, 1999) and southern Sumatra Islands exhibit velocity reductions up to 8.5% relative to PREM. We suggest that these low velocity regions are Ultra-low velocity zones, which may be related to partial melt or iron-enriched solids.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  19. Eclogite-associated potassic silicate melts and chloride-rich fluids in the mantle: a possible connection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safonov, O.; Butvina, V.

    2009-04-01

    Relics of potassium-rich (4-14 wt. % of K2O and K2O/Na2O > 1.0) melts are a specific features of some partially molten diamondiferous eclogite xenoliths in kimberlites worldwide [1, 2]. In addition, potassic silicic melt inclusions with up to 16 wt. % of K2O are associated with eclogite phases in kimberlitic diamonds (O. Navon, pers. comm.). According to available experimental data, no such potassium contents can be reached by "dry" and hydrous melting of eclogite. These data point to close connection between infiltration of essentially potassic fluids, partial melting and diamond formation in mantle eclogites [2]. Among specific components of these fluids, alkali chlorides, apparently, play an important role. This conclusion follows from assemblages of the melt relics with chlorine-bearing phases in eclogite xenoliths [1], findings of KCl-rich inclusions in diamonds from the xenoliths [3], and concentration of Cl up to 0.5-1.5 wt. % in the melt inclusions in diamonds. In this presentation, we review our experimental data on reactions of KCl melts and KCl-bearing fluids with model and natural eclogite-related minerals and assemblages. Experiments in the model system jadeite(±diopside)-KCl(±H2O) at 4-7 GPa showed that, being immiscible, chloride liquids provoke a strong K-Na exchange with silicates (jadeite). As a result, low-temperature ultrapotassic chlorine-bearing (up to 3 wt. % of Cl) aluminosilicate melts form. These melts is able to produce sanidine, which is characteristic phase in some partially molten eclogites. In addition, in presence of water Si-rich Cl-bearing mica (Al-celadonite-phlogopite) crystallizes in equilibrium with sanidine and/or potassic melt and immiscible chloride liquid. This mica is similar to that observed in some eclogitic diamonds bearing chloride-rich fluid inclusions [4], as well as in diamonds in partially molten eclogites [2]. Interaction of KCl melt with pyrope garnet also produce potassic aluminosilicate melt because of high

  20. Theoretical Understanding the Relations of Melting-point Determination Methods from Gibbs Thermodynamic Surface and Applications on Melting Curves of Lower Mantle Minerals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, K.; Belonoshko, A. B.; Zhou, H.; Lu, X.

    2016-12-01

    The melting temperatures of materials in the interior of the Earth has significant implications in many areas of geophysics. The direct calculations of the melting point by atomic simulations would face substantial hysteresis problem. To overcome the hysteresis encountered in the atomic simulations there are a few different melting-point determination methods available nowadays, which are founded independently, such as the free energy method, the two-phase or coexistence method, and the Z method, etc. In this study, we provide a theoretical understanding the relations of these methods from a geometrical perspective based on a quantitative construction of the volume-entropy-energy thermodynamic surface, a model first proposed by J. Willard Gibbs in 1873. Then combining with an experimental data and/or a previous melting-point determination method, we apply this model to derive the high-pressure melting curves for several lower mantle minerals with less computational efforts relative to using previous methods only. Through this way, some polyatomic minerals at extreme pressures which are almost unsolvable before are calculated fully from first principles now.

  1. Low crustal velocities and mantle lithospheric variations in southern Tibet from regional Pnl waveforms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Arthur J.; Schwartz, Susan Y.

    We report low average crustal P-wave velocities (5.9-6.1 km/s, Poisson's ratio 0.23-0.27, thickness 68-76 km) in southern Tibet from modelling regional Pnl waveforms recorded by the 1991-1992 Tibetan Plateau Experiment. We also find that the mantle lithosphere beneath the Indus-Tsangpo Suture and the Lhasa Terrane is shield-like (Pn velocity 8.20-8.25 km/s, lid thickness 80-140 km, positive velocity gradient 0.0015-0.0025 s-1). Analysis of relative Pn travel time residuals requires a decrease in the mantle velocities beneath the northern Lhasa Terrane, the Banggong-Nujiang Suture and the southern Qiangtang Terrane. Tectonic and petrologic considerations suggest that low bulk crustal velocities could result from a thick (50-60 km) felsic upper crust with vertically limited and laterally pervasive partial melt. These results are consistent with underthrusting of Indian Shield lithosphere beneath the Tibetan Plateau to at least the central Lhasa Terrane.

  2. A study of experimental simulation of mantle metasomatism by the proton microprobe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sie, S.H.; Suter, G.F.; Sweeney, R.J.; Green, D.H.

    1991-01-01

    The chemistry of melts and fluids in the Earth's mantle is essential to understand the processes that generate them and the source areas from which they derive. The characterisation of these phases is particularly relevant with regard to the geochemical changes which would occur in a mantle subjected to the percolation of fluids (for example fluids that derive from a hydrated subducting slab to influence basic geochemistry in subduction zones) and small degree melts which percolate into a relatively cool mantle beneath continents. The development of a technique in the Geology Department of University of Tasmania, of trapping and isolating these small degree melts and fluids in pre-stressed (fractured) olivine disks inserted into run capsules is described. Little success is reported with the analysis of subsurface inclusions in olivine containing trace amounts (e.g. up to 1000 ppm) of elements of interest. This is primarily due to the fact that olivine is a heavy absorber of secondary X-rays principally a function of its higher Fe content. However, some success was achieved in the analysis of small surface melt inclusions where corrections had to be made for the overlap of the beam on the encapsulating olivine. The results carry large uncertainties (20%), primarily due to the smallness of the sample hence the large contribution of underlying olivine, and also of surrounding olivine when the beam is larger than the sample or when the beam drifts off the sample. An example of such measurements is described. Garnets in the peridotite were also analysed and this enabled the calculation of melt-garnet partition coefficients. 5 refs., 2 tabs

  3. Water Content of Earth's Continental Mantle Is Controlled by the Circulation of Fluids or Melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peslier, Anne; Woodland, Alan B.; Bell, David R.; Lazarov, Marina; Lapen, Thomas J.

    2014-01-01

    A key mission of the ARES Directorate at JSC is to constrain models of the formation and geological history of terrestrial planets. Water is a crucial parameter to be measured with the aim to determine its amount and distribution in the interior of Earth, Mars, and the Moon. Most of that "water" is not liquid water per se, but rather hydrogen dissolved as a trace element in the minerals of the rocks at depth. Even so, the middle layer of differentiated planets, the mantle, occupies such a large volume and mass of each planet that when it is added at the planetary scale, oceans worth of water could be stored in its interior. The mantle is where magmas originate. Moreover, on Earth, the mantle is where the boundary between tectonic plates and the underlying asthenosphere is located. Even if mantle rocks in Earth typically contain less than 200 ppm H2O, such small quantities have tremendous influence on how easily they melt (i.e., the more water there is, the more magma is produced) and deform (the more water there is, the less viscous they are). These two properties alone emphasize that to understand the distribution of volcanism and the mechanism of plate tectonics, the water content of the mantle must be determined - Earth being a template to which all other terrestrial planets can be compared.

  4. Evidence for Slab Melt Contributions to the Mexican Volcanic Belt and Other Young Hot Slab Arcs from Lu-Hf Isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, S. L.; Cai, Y. M.; Langmuir, C. H.; Lagatta, A.; Straub, S. M.; Gomez-Tuena, A.; Martin Del Pozzo, A.

    2007-12-01

    Despite major advances in delineating the processes that govern magma generation at convergent margins, the problem persists of distinguishing slab, mantle wedge, and crustal contributions. A corrollary question is whether there is significant melting of subducted ocean crust. Especially in thick crust regions, the importance of crustal versus mantle contributions to lavas represents a long-standing fundamental issue in arc magma geochemistry. We show that frontal arc magmas from the Central Mexican Volcanic Belt (CMVB), including the large andesitic stratovolcanoes Popocatepetl and Nevado de Toluca, display negligible crustal contamination, and contain substantial contributions from melting of subducted Pacific ocean crust. Despite ca. 50 km thick continental crust, the CMVB erupts near primitive lavas including "high-Nb" alkaline basalts that show negligible "subduction signatures" in their trace element patterns. These "high-Nb" basalts define the regional mantle wedge composition in isotope-trace element space. The "normal" calcalkaline lavas form a negative correlation between Hf isotopes and Lu/Hf. One endmember is like the high Nb basalts representing the regional mantle wedge. The other endmember has higher Hf isotopes (approaching values of Pacific MORB) and very low Lu/Hf of less than 0.04 (e.g. compared to typical values of ca. 0.2 in Pacific MORB). The low Lu/Hf values require low degree partial melting of a source rich in garnet. The high Hf isotopes require a depleted mantle source with isotopes like Pacific MORB. Together the Lu-Hf data indicate a substantial component derived from melting of eclogitic Pacific ocean crust. A key feature of the data is that the stratovolcano lavas showing the largest slab melt signature also show the highest Hf isotope ratios and thus are more "depleted mantle-like" than the regional mantle wedge. Thus, the integrated data allow us to clearly distinguish between mantle and crustal sources in the CMVB and point to

  5. Low-melting point heat transfer fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordaro, Joseph Gabriel; Bradshaw, Robert W.

    2010-11-09

    A low-melting point, heat transfer fluid made of a mixture of five inorganic salts including about 29.1-33.5 mol % LiNO.sub.3, 0-3.9 mol % NaNO.sub.3, 2.4-8.2 mol % KNO.sub.3, 18.6-19.9 mol % NaNO.sub.2, and 40-45.6 mol % KNO.sub.2. These compositions can have liquidus temperatures below 80.degree. C. for some compositions.

  6. Stagnation and Storage of Strongly Depleted Melts in Slow-Ultraslow Spreading Oceans: Evidence from the Ligurian Tethys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piccardo, Giovanni; Guarnieri, Luisa; Padovano, Matteo

    2013-04-01

    Our studies of Alpine-Apennine ophiolite massifs (i.e., Lanzo, Voltri, Ligurides, Corsica) show that the Jurassic Ligurian Tethys oceanic basin was a slow-ultraslow spreading basin, characterized by the exposures on the seafloor of mantle peridotites with extreme compositional variability. The large majority of these peridotites are made of depleted spinel harzburgites and plagioclase peridotites. The former are interpreted as reactive peridotites formed by the reactive percolation of under-saturated, strongly trace element depleted asthenospheric melts migrated by porous flow through the mantle lithosphere. The latter are considered as refertilized peridotites formed by peridotite impregnation by percolated silica-saturated, strongly trace element depleted melts. Strongly depleted melts were produced as low-degrees, single melt increments by near fractional melting of the passively upwelling asthenosphere during the rifting stage of the basin. They escaped single melt increment aggregation, migrated isolated through the mantle lithosphere by reactive porous or channeled flow before oceanic opening, and were transformed into silica-saturated derivative liquids that underwent entrapment and stagnation in the shallow mantle lithosphere forming plagioclase-enriched peridotites. Widespread small bodies of strongly depleted gabbro-norites testify for the local coalescence of these derivative liquids. These melts never reached the surface (i.e., the hidden magmatism), since lavas with their composition have never been found in the basin. Subsequently, aggregated MORB melts upwelled within replacive dunite channels (as evidenced by composition of magmatic clinopyroxenes in dunites), intruded at shallow levels as olivine gabbro bodies and extruded as basaltic lavas, to form the crustal rocks of the oceanic lithosphere (i.e., the oceanic magmatism). Km-scale bodies of MORB olivine gabbros were intruded into the plagioclase-enriched peridotites, which were formed in the

  7. Uranium in mantle processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortini, M.

    1984-01-01

    (1) Metasomatism is an effective process in the mantle. It controls the distribution of U, Th and Pb in the mantle before the onset of magma formation. (2) Radioactive disequilibria demonstrate that magma formation is an open-system very fast process in which Ra, U and Th are extracted in large amounts from a mantle source that is geochemically distinct from the mantle fraction from which the melt is formed. (3) Because the enrichment of U, Th and Ra in the magma is so fast, the concept of mineral-melt partition coefficient is not valid for these elements during magma formation. (4) Metasomatism seems to generally produce an increase in μ and a decrease in K of the metasomatized mantle region. (5) Magma formation at oceanic ridges and islands seems to generally produce a decrease in K, in its mantle source region. (6) The major source of U, Th, Ra and Pb in a magma probably is the metasomatic mantle component. Instead, the major source of Sr and Nd in a magma is the non-metasomatic, more 'refractory' mantle component. (7) This proposed model is testable. It predicts isotopic disequilibrium of Pb between coexisting minerals and whole rocks, and a correlation of Pb with Th isotopes. (author)

  8. Modification of an ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle by continental subduction: Insight from the Maowu garnet peridotites in the Dabie UHP belt, eastern China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yi; Su, Bin; Chu, Zhuyin

    2017-05-01

    Orogenic mantle-derived peridotites commonly originate from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) and thus provide a key target to investigate the modification of the SCLM by a subducting slab. The Maowu ultramafic rocks from the Dabie ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt have formerly been debated as representing cumulates or mantle-derived peridotites. Detailed petrological and geochemical data presented in this study provide new constraints on the origin and formation of the peridotites involving melt depletion in the ancient SCLM and deep crustal metasomatism. The Maowu garnet dunites have refractory bulk compositions characterized by high Mg# (91.9-92.0) and Ni (2537-2892 ppm) values and low Al2O3 (0.26-0.76 wt.%), CaO (0.05-0.32 wt.%), TiO2 (China craton. Many garnet orthopyroxenite veins crosscutting the Maowu dunites preserve abundant metasomatic textures and show variable enrichment in incompatible elements. Mineral and whole-rock chemistry indicate that these veins represent metasomatic products between the wall dunites and silica-rich hydrous melts under UHP conditions. The veins show large variations in platinum-group element (PGE) signatures and Re-Os isotopes. The garnet-poor orthopyroxenite veins are characterized by low Al2O3 ( 6 wt.%) and S (99-306 ppm) contents and show melt-like PGE patterns and high 187Os/188Os ratios (up to 0.36910). These features, combined with the occurrence of interstitial sulfides in the garnet-rich orthopyroxenite veins, suggest that crust-derived sulfur-saturated silicate melts may have significantly modified the PGE signature and destroyed the Re-Os systematics of the SCLM. However, when the crust-derived silicate melts became sulfur-depleted, such melts would not significantly modify the PGE patterns, radiogenic Os-isotope compositions or the Re-depletion model ages of the SCLM. Consequently, deep crust-mantle interactions in continental subduction zones could induce high degrees of Os isotopic

  9. Primitive magmas at five Cascade volcanic fields: Melts from hot, heterogeneous sub-arc mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacon, C.R.; Bruggman, P.E.; Christiansen, R.L.; Clynne, M.A.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Hildreth, W.

    1997-01-01

    ; and OIB-source-like domains. Lavas with arc and intraplate (OIB) geochemical signatures were erupted close to HAOT, and many lavas are blends of two or more magma types. Pre-eruptive H2O contents of HAOT, coupled with phase-equilibrium studies, suggest that these magmas were relatively dry and last equilibrated in the mantle wedge at temperatures of ???1300??C and depths of ???40 km, virtually at the base of the crust. Arc basalt and basaltic andesite represent greater extents of melting than HAOT, presumably in the same general thermal regime but at somewhat lower mantle separation temperatures, of domains of sub-arc mantle that have been enriched by a hydrous subduction component derived from the young, relatively hot Juan de Fuca plate. The primitive magmas originated by partial melting in response to adiabatic upwelling within the mantle wedge. Tectonic extension in this part of the Cascade arc, one characterized by slow oblique convergence, contributes to mantle upwelling and facilitates eruption of primitive magmas.

  10. Mantle to surface degassing of alkalic magmas at Erebus volcano, Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oppenheimer, C.; Moretti, R.; Kyle, P.R.; Eschenbacher, A.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Hervig, R.L.; Dunbar, N.W.

    2011-01-01

    Continental intraplate volcanoes, such as Erebus volcano, Antarctica, are associated with extensional tectonics, mantle upwelling and high heat flow. Typically, erupted magmas are alkaline and rich in volatiles (especially CO2), inherited from low degrees of partial melting of mantle sources. We examine the degassing of the magmatic system at Erebus volcano using melt inclusion data and high temporal resolution open-path Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic measurements of gas emissions from the active lava lake. Remarkably different gas signatures are associated with passive and explosive gas emissions, representative of volatile contents and redox conditions that reveal contrasting shallow and deep degassing sources. We show that this unexpected degassing signature provides a unique probe for magma differentiation and transfer of CO2-rich oxidised fluids from the mantle to the surface, and evaluate how these processes operate in time and space. Extensive crystallisation driven by CO2 fluxing is responsible for isobaric fractionation of parental basanite magmas close to their source depth. Magma deeper than 4kbar equilibrates under vapour-buffered conditions. At shallower depths, CO2-rich fluids accumulate and are then released either via convection-driven, open-system gas loss or as closed-system slugs that ascend and result in Strombolian eruptions in the lava lake. The open-system gases have a reduced state (below the QFM buffer) whereas the closed-system gases preserve their deep oxidised signatures (close to the NNO buffer). ?? 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  11. Silica-enriched mantle sources of subalkaline picrite-boninite-andesite island arc magmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bénard, A.; Arculus, R. J.; Nebel, O.; Ionov, D. A.; McAlpine, S. R. B.

    2017-02-01

    Primary arc melts may form through fluxed or adiabatic decompression melting in the mantle wedge, or via a combination of both processes. Major limitations to our understanding of the formation of primary arc melts stem from the fact that most arc lavas are aggregated blends of individual magma batches, further modified by differentiation processes in the sub-arc mantle lithosphere and overlying crust. Primary melt generation is thus masked by these types of second-stage processes. Magma-hosted peridotites sampled as xenoliths in subduction zone magmas are possible remnants of sub-arc mantle and magma generation processes, but are rarely sampled in active arcs. Published studies have emphasised the predominantly harzburgitic lithologies with particularly high modal orthopyroxene in these xenoliths; the former characteristic reflects the refractory nature of these materials consequent to extensive melt depletion of a lherzolitic protolith whereas the latter feature requires additional explanation. Here we present major and minor element data for pristine, mantle-derived, lava-hosted spinel-bearing harzburgite and dunite xenoliths and associated primitive melts from the active Kamchatka and Bismarck arcs. We show that these peridotite suites, and other mantle xenoliths sampled in circum-Pacific arcs, are a distinctive peridotite type not found in other tectonic settings, and are melting residues from hydrous melting of silica-enriched mantle sources. We explore the ability of experimental studies allied with mantle melting parameterisations (pMELTS, Petrolog3) to reproduce the compositions of these arc peridotites, and present a protolith ('hybrid mantle wedge') composition that satisfies the available constraints. The composition of peridotite xenoliths recovered from erupted arc magmas plausibly requires their formation initially via interaction of slab-derived components with refractory mantle prior to or during the formation of primary arc melts. The liquid

  12. NiO and Fe/Mn in Fo-rich olivines from OIB, MORB, and mantle peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, H.; Baker, M.; Hofmann, A. E.; Clague, D.; Stolper, E.

    2006-12-01

    regular trend from MORB/Iceland, to Baffin Isl, to mantle peridotites/Juan Fernandez, to Reunion/Hawaii. This array can't be explained by simple crystallization (all have similar Fo) or by variable degrees of partial melting of a single source. The NiO-Fe/Mn correlation can be modeled by quantitative addition of 1-2% oxidized core to depleted mantle and thus is consistent with the core-addition hypothesis. However, more complex core-mantle interactions/fractionations would still be required to explain trace siderophile and chalcophile elements and isotopes. Moreover, other hypotheses to explain the observed trend (including addition of silicic melts to peridotite) cannot be ruled out. (2) The Hawaiian data, although clearly defining with Reunion the upper end of the overall NiO-Fe/Mn array, are more complex. For example, a single Mauna Kea sample has ~Fo90 phenocrysts with NiO from 0.30 to 0.54%, all with Fe/Mn=72-80, and North Arch and Loihi olivines have relatively low NiO at Fe/Mn ratios comparable to other Hawaiian olivines. Although Loihi and North Arch lavas are low in SiO2, in detail the NiO of Hawaiian olivines are not well predicted by SiO2 contents of the host lavas. (3) The Gorgona Isl komatiites fall off the overall trend, extending to NiO >0.5 wt% at Fe/Mn ~62, perhaps reflecting different sources, processes, or anomalous degrees of melting. [1] Kelemen et al (1998) EPSL 164, 387-406 [2] Sobolev et al (2005) Nature 434, 590-597 [3] Ryabchikov (2003) Doklady Earth Sci. 389A, 437-439 [4] Humayun et al (2004) Science 306, 91-94

  13. Numerical modeling of convective erosion and peridotite-melt interaction in big mantle wedge: Implications for the destruction of the North China Craton

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Lijuan

    2014-04-01

    The deep subduction of the Pacific Plate underneath East Asia is thought to have played a key role in the destruction of the North China Craton (NCC). To test this hypothesis, this paper presents a new 2-D model that includes an initial stable equilibrated craton, the formation of a big mantle wedge (BMW), and erosion by vigorous mantle convection. The model shows that subduction alone cannot thin the cold solid craton, but it can form a low-viscosity BMW. The amount of convective erosion is directly proportional to viscosity within the BMW (η0bmw), and the rheological boundary layer thins linearly with decreasing log10(η0bmw), thereby contributing to an increase in heat flow at the lithospheric base. This model also differs from previous modeling in that the increase in heat flow decays linearly with t1/2, meaning that the overall thinning closely follows a natural log relationship over time. Nevertheless, convection alone can only cause a limited thinning due to a minor increase in basal heat flow. The lowering of melting temperature by peridotite-melt interaction can accelerate thinning during the early stages of this convection. The two combined actions can thin the craton significantly over tens of Myr. This modeling, combined with magmatism and heat flow data, indicates that the NCC evolution has involved four distinct stages: modification in the Jurassic by Pacific Plate subduction and BMW formation, destruction during the Early Cretaceous under combined convective erosion and peridotite-melt interaction, extension in the Late Cretaceous, and cooling since the late Cenozoic.

  14. Temperature Profile of the Upper Mantle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, O.L.

    1980-01-01

    Following the procedure outlined by Magnitsky [1971], thermal profiles of the upper mantle are computed by deriving the thermal gradient from the seismic data given as dv/sub s//drho used along with the values of (dv/sub s//dT9/sub p/ and (dv/sub s//dP)/sub T/ of selected minerals, measured at high temperature. The resulting values of dT/dZ are integrated from 380 km upward toward the surface, where the integrating constant is taken from Akagi and Akimoto's work, T=1400 0 C at 380 km. The resulting geotherms for minerals are used to derive geotherms for an eclogite mantle and a lherzolite mantle, with and without partial melting in the low-velocity zone. The geotherms are all subadiabatic, and some are virtually isothermal in the upper mantle. Some are characterized by a large thermal hump at the lithosphere boundary

  15. Migrating Toward Fully 4-D Geodynamical Models of Asthenospheric Circulation and Melt Production at Mid-Ocean Ridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dam, L.; Kincaid, C. R.; Pockalny, R. A.; Sylvia, R. T.; Hall, P. S.

    2017-12-01

    Lateral migration of mid-ocean ridge spreading centers is a well-documented phenomenon leading to asymmetric melt production and the surficial expressions thereof. This form of plate motion has been difficult to incorporate into both numerical and analogue geodynamical models, and consequently, current estimates of time-dependent flow, material transport, and melting in the mantle beneath ridges are lacking. To address this, we have designed and built an innovative research apparatus that allows for precise and repeatable simulations of mid-ocean ridge spreading and migration. Three pairs of counter-rotating belts with adjustable lateral orientations are scaled to simulate spreading at, and flow beneath, three 600km wide ridge segments with up to 300km transform offsets. This apparatus is attached to a drive system that allows us to test a full range of axis-parallel to axis-normal migration directions, and is suspended above a reservoir of viscous glucose syrup, a scaled analogue for the upper mantle, and neutrally buoyant tracers. We image plate-driven flow in the syrup with high-resolution digital cameras and use particle image velocimetry methods to obtain information about transport pathlines and flow-induced anisotropy. Suites of experiments are run with and without ridge migration to determine the overall significance of migration on spatial and temporal characteristics of shallow mantle flow. Our experiments cover an expansive parameter space by including various spreading rates, migration speeds and directions, degrees of spreading asymmetry, transform-offset lengths, and upper mantle viscosity conditions. Preliminary results highlight the importance of modeling migratory plate forces. Mantle material exhibits a significant degree of lateral transport, particularly between ridge segments and towards the melt triangle. Magma supply to the melting region is highly complex; parcels of material do not necessarily move along fixed streamlines, rather, they can

  16. The origin of volatiles in the Earth's mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hier-Majumder, Saswata; Hirschmann, Marc M.

    2017-08-01

    The Earth's deep interior contains significant reservoirs of volatiles such as H, C, and N. Due to the incompatible nature of these volatile species, it has been difficult to reconcile their storage in the residual mantle immediately following crystallization of the terrestrial magma ocean (MO). As the magma ocean freezes, it is commonly assumed that very small amounts of melt are retained in the residual mantle, limiting the trapped volatile concentration in the primordial mantle. In this article, we show that inefficient melt drainage out of the freezing front can retain large amounts of volatiles hosted in the trapped melt in the residual mantle while creating a thick early atmosphere. Using a two-phase flow model, we demonstrate that compaction within the moving freezing front is inefficient over time scales characteristic of magma ocean solidification. We employ a scaling relation between the trapped melt fraction, the rate of compaction, and the rate of freezing in our magma ocean evolution model. For cosmochemically plausible fractions of volatiles delivered during the later stages of accretion, our calculations suggest that up to 77% of total H2O and 12% of CO2 could have been trapped in the mantle during magma ocean crystallization. The assumption of a constant trapped melt fraction underestimates the mass of volatiles in the residual mantle by more than an order of magnitude.Plain Language SummaryThe Earth's deep interior contains substantial amounts of volatile elements like C, H, and N. How these elements got sequestered in the Earth's interior has long been a topic of debate. It is generally assumed that most of these elements escaped the interior of the Earth during the first few hundred thousand years to create a primitive atmosphere, leaving the mantle reservoir nearly empty. In this work, we show that the key to this paradox involves the very early stages of crystallization of the mantle from a global magma ocean. Using numerical models, we show

  17. EFFECTS OF STELLAR FLUX ON TIDALLY LOCKED TERRESTRIAL PLANETS: DEGREE-1 MANTLE CONVECTION AND LOCAL MAGMA PONDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gelman, S. E.; Elkins-Tanton, L. T.; Seager, S.

    2011-01-01

    We model the geodynamical evolution of super-Earth exoplanets in synchronous rotation about their star. While neglecting the effects of a potential atmosphere, we explore the parameter spaces of both the Rayleigh number and intensity of incoming stellar flux, and identify two main stages of mantle convection evolution. The first is a transient stage in which a lithospheric temperature and thickness dichotomy emerges between the substellar and the antistellar hemispheres, while the style of mantle convection is dictated by the Rayleigh number. The second stage is the development of degree-1 mantle convection. Depending on mantle properties, the timescale of onset of this second stage of mantle evolution varies from order 1 to 100 billion years of simulated planetary evolution. Planets with higher Rayleigh numbers (due to, for instance, larger planetary radii than the Earth) and planets whose incoming stellar flux is high (likely for most detectable exoplanets) will develop degree-1 mantle convection most quickly, on the order of 1 billion years, which is within the age of many planetary systems. Surface temperatures range from 220 K to 830 K, implying the possibility of liquid water in some regions near the surface. These results are discussed in the context of stable molten magma ponds on hotter planets, and the habitability of super-Earths which may lie outside the Habitable Zone.

  18. Intraplate mantle oxidation by volatile-rich silicic magmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, Audrey M.; Médard, Etienne; Righter, Kevin; Lanzirotti, Antonio

    2017-11-01

    The upper subcontinental lithospheric mantle below the French Massif Central is more oxidized than the average continental lithosphere, although the origin of this anomaly remains unknown. Using iron oxidation analysis in clinopyroxene, oxybarometry, and melt inclusions in mantle xenoliths, we show that widespread infiltration of volatile (HCSO)-rich silicic melts played a major role in this oxidation. We propose the first comprehensive model of magmatism and mantle oxidation at an intraplate setting. Two oxidizing events occurred: (1) a 365–286 Ma old magmatic episode that produced alkaline vaugnerites, potassic lamprophyres, and K-rich calc-alkaline granitoids, related to the N–S Rhenohercynian subduction, and (2) < 30 Ma old magmatism related to W–E extension, producing carbonatites and hydrous potassic trachytes. These melts were capable of locally increasing the subcontinental lithospheric mantle fO2 to FMQ + 2.4. Both events originate from the melting of a metasomatized lithosphere containing carbonate + phlogopite ± amphibole. The persistence of this volatile-rich lithospheric source implies the potential for new episodes of volatile-rich magmatism. Similarities with worldwide magmatism also show that the importance of volatiles and the oxidation of the mantle in intraplate regions is underestimated.

  19. Reconciling laboratory and observational models of mantle rheology in geodynamic modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Scott D.

    2016-10-01

    Experimental and geophysical observations constraining mantle rheology are reviewed with an emphasis on their impact on mantle geodynamic modelling. For olivine, the most studied and best-constrained mantle mineral, the tradeoffs associated with the uncertainties in the activation energy, activation volume, grain-size and water content allow the construction of upper mantle rheology models ranging from nearly uniform with depth to linearly increasing from the base of the lithosphere to the top of the transition zone. Radial rheology models derived from geophysical observations allow for either a weak upper mantle or a weak transition zone. Experimental constraints show that wadsleyite and ringwoodite are stronger than olivine at the top of the transition zone; however the uncertainty in the concentration of water in the transition zone precludes ruling out a weak transition zone. Both observational and experimental constraints allow for strong or weak slabs and the most promising constraints on slab rheology may come from comparing inferred slab geometry from seismic tomography with systematic studies of slab morphology from dynamic models. Experimental constraints on perovskite and ferropericlase strength are consistent with general feature of rheology models derived from geophysical observations and suggest that the increase in viscosity through the top of the upper mantle could be due to the increase in the strength of ferropericlase from 20-65 GPa. The decrease in viscosity in the bottom half of the lower mantle could be the result of approaching the melting temperature of perovskite. Both lines of research are consistent with a high-viscosity lithosphere, a low viscosity either in the upper mantle or transition zone, and high viscosity in the lower mantle, increasing through the upper half of the lower mantle and decreasing in the bottom half of the lower mantle, with a low viscosity above the core. Significant regions of the mantle, including high

  20. On the Role of Mantle Overturn during Magma Ocean Solidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boukaré, C. E.; Parmentier, E.; Parman, S. W.

    2017-12-01

    Solidification of potential global magma ocean(s) (MO) early in the history of terrestrial planets may play a key role in the evolution of planetary interiors by setting initial conditions for their long-term evolution. Constraining this initial structure of solid mantles is thus crucial but remains poorly understood. MO fractional crystallization has been proposed to generate gravitationally unstable Fe-Mg chemical stratification capable of driving solid-state mantle overturn. Fractional solidification and overturn hypothesis, while only an ideal limiting case, can explain important geochemical features of both the Moon and Mars. Current overturn models consider generally post-MO overturn where the cumulate pile remains immobile until the end of MO solidification. However, if the cumulate pile overturns during MO solidification, the general picture of early planet evolution might differ significantly from the static crystallization models. We show that the timing of mantle overturn can be characterized with a dimensionless number measuring the ratio of the MO solidification time and the purely compositional overturn timescale. Syn-solidification overturn occurs if this dimensionless parameter, Rc, exceeds a critical value. Rc is mostly affected by the competition between the MO solidification time and mantle viscosity. Overturn that occurs during solidification can result in smaller scales of mantle chemical heterogeneity that could persist for long times thus influencing the whole evolution of a planetary body. We will discuss the effects of compaction/percolation on mantle viscosity. If partially molten cumulate do not have time to compact during MO solidification, viscosity of cumulates would be significantly lower as the interstitcial melt fraction would be large. Both solid mantle remelting during syn-solidification overturn and porous convection of melt retained with the cumulates are expected to reduce the degree of fractional crystallization. Syn

  1. Anomalous density and elastic properties of basalt at high pressure: Reevaluating of the effect of melt fraction on seismic velocity in the Earth's crust and upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Alisha N.; Lesher, Charles E.; Jacobsen, Steven D.; Wang, Yanbin

    2016-06-01

    Independent measurements of the volumetric and elastic properties of Columbia River basalt glass were made up to 5.5 GPa by high-pressure X-ray microtomography and GHz-ultrasonic interferometry, respectively. The Columbia River basalt displays P and S wave velocity minima at 4.5 and 5 GPa, respectively, violating Birch's law. These data constrain the pressure dependence of the density and elastic moduli at high pressure, which cannot be modeled through usual equations of state nor determined by stepwise integrating the bulk sound velocity as is common practice. We propose a systematic variation in compression behavior of silicate glasses that is dependent on the degree of polymerization and arises from the flexibility of the aluminosilicate network. This behavior likely persists into the liquid state for basaltic melts resulting in weak pressure dependence for P wave velocities perhaps to depths of the transition zone. Modeling the effect of partial melt on P wave velocity reductions suggests that melt fraction determined by seismic velocity variations may be significantly overestimated in the crust and upper mantle.

  2. Numerical Simulations of Melting-Crystallisation Processes at the Boundaries Between Magma Oceans and Solid Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolrão, D. P.; Rozel, A.; Morison, A.; Labrosse, S.; Tackley, P. J.

    2017-12-01

    The idea that the Earth had a global magma ocean, mostly created by impacts, core formation, radiogenic and tidal heating, is well accepted nowadays. When this ocean starts to crystallise, if the melt is denser than the solid, a basal magma ocean is created below the solid part. These two magma oceans influence the dynamics and evolution of solid mantle. Near the boundaries, the vertical flow in the solid part creates a topography. If this topography is destroyed by melting/crystallisation processes in a time scale much shorter than the time needed to adjust the topography by viscous relaxation, then matter can cross the boundary. In this case, the boundary is said to be permeable. On the other hand, if this time is longer, matter cannot cross and the boundary is said impermeable. This permeability is defined by a non-dimensional phase change number, φ, introduced by Deguen, 2013. This φ is the ratio of the two timescales mentioned, and defines a permeable boundary when φ « 1, and an impermeable one when φ » 1. To understand the impact of magma oceans on the dynamics of the solid mantle, we use the convection code StagYY, with a 2D spherical annulus geometry, to compute the convection of the solid part. Our results show different convection behaviours depending on the type of boundary chosen. For the permeable case, we investigate the thermo-compositional evolution of the solid domain, explicitly taking into account the compositional evolution of the magma oceans. Reference: Deguen, R. Thermal convection in a spherical shell with melting/freezing at either or both of its boundaries. Journal of Earth Science, Vol. 24, No. 5, p. 669-682, 2013. doi: 10.1007/s12583-013-0364-8

  3. The latest geodynamics in Asia: Synthesis of data on volcanic evolution, lithosphere motion, and mantle velocities in the Baikal-Mongolian region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergei Rasskazov

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available From a synthesis of data on volcanic evolution, movement of the lithosphere, and mantle velocities in the Baikal-Mongolian region, we propose a comprehensive model for deep dynamics of Asia that assumes an important role of the Gobi, Baikal, and North Transbaikal transition-layer melting anomalies. This layer was distorted by lower-mantle fluxes at the beginning of the latest geodynamic stage (i.e. in the early late Cretaceous due to avalanches of slab material that were stagnated beneath the closed fragments of the Solonker, Ural-Mongolian paleoceans and Mongol-Okhotsk Gulf of Paleo-Pacific. At the latest geodynamic stage, Asia was involved in east–southeast movement, and the Pacific plate moved in the opposite direction with subduction under Asia. The weakened upper mantle region of the Gobi melting anomaly provided a counterflow connected with rollback in the Japan Sea area. These dynamics resulted in the formation of the Honshu-Korea flexure of the Pacific slab. A similar weakened upper mantle region of the North Transbaikal melting anomaly was associated with the formation of the Hokkaido-Amur flexure of the Pacific slab, formed due to progressive pull-down of the slab material into the transition layer in the direction of the Pacific plate and Asia convergence. The early–middle Miocene structural reorganization of the mantle processes in Asia resulted in the development of upper mantle low-velocity domains associated with the development of rifts and orogens. We propose that extension at the Baikal Rift was caused by deviator flowing mantle material, initiated under the moving lithosphere in the Baikal melting anomaly. Contraction at the Hangay orogen was created by facilitation of the tectonic stress transfer from the Indo-Asian interaction zone due to the low-viscosity mantle in the Gobi melting anomaly.

  4. Depleted subcontinental lithospheric mantle and its tholeiitic melt metasomatism beneath NE termination of the Eger Rift (Europe): the case study of the Steinberg (Upper Lusatia, SE Germany) xenoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukuła, Anna; Puziewicz, Jacek; Matusiak-Małek, Magdalena; Ntaflos, Theodoros; Büchner, Jörg; Tietz, Olaf

    2015-12-01

    The ca. 30 Ma Steinberg basanite occurs at the NE termination of the Eger (Ohře) Rift in the NW Bohemian Massif, Central Europe, and belongs to the Cenozoic alkaline Central European Volcanic Province. The basanite hosts a suite of mantle xenoliths, most of which are harzburgites containing relatively magnesian olivine (Fo 90.5-91.6) and Al-poor (0.04-0.13 a pfu) orthopyroxene (mg# 0.90-0.92). Some of these harzburgites also contain volumetrically minor clinopyroxene (mg# 0.92-0.95, Al 0.03-0.13 a pfu) and have U-shaped LREE-enriched REE patterns. The Steinberg harzburgites are typical for the Lower Silesian - Upper Lusatian domain of the European subcontinental lithospheric mantle. They represent residual mantle that has undergone extensive partial melting and was subsequently affected by mantle metasomatism by mixed carbonatite-silicate melts. The Steinberg xenolith suite comprises also dunitic xenoliths affected by metasomatism by melt similar to the host basanite, which lowered the Fo content in olivine to 87.6 %. This metasomatism happened shortly before xenolith entrainment in the erupting lava. One of the xenoliths is a wehrlite (olivine Fo 73 %, clinopyroxene mg# 0.83-0.85, subordinate orthopyroxene mg# 0.76-0.77). Its clinopyroxene REE pattern is flat and slightly LREE-depleted. This wehrlite is considered to be a tholeiitic cumulate. One of the studied harzburgites contains clinopyroxene with similar trace element contents to those in wehrlite. This type of clinopyroxene records percolation of tholeiitic melt through harzburgite. The tholeiitic melt might be similar to Cenozoic continental tholeiites occurring in the Central European Volcanic Province (e.g., Vogelsberg, Germany).

  5. Sources and mobility of carbonate melts beneath cratons, with implications for deep carbon cycling, metasomatism and rift initiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tappe, Sebastian; Romer, Rolf L.; Stracke, Andreas; Steenfelt, Agnete; Smart, Katie A.; Muehlenbachs, Karlis; Torsvik, Trond H.

    2017-05-01

    Kimberlite and carbonatite magmas that intrude cratonic lithosphere are among the deepest probes of the terrestrial carbon cycle. Their co-existence on thick continental shields is commonly attributed to continuous partial melting sequences of carbonated peridotite at >150 km depths, possibly as deep as the mantle transition zone. At Tikiusaaq on the North Atlantic craton in West Greenland, approximately 160 Ma old ultrafresh kimberlite dykes and carbonatite sheets provide a rare opportunity to study the origin and evolution of carbonate-rich melts beneath cratons. Although their Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb-Li isotopic compositions suggest a common convecting upper mantle source that includes depleted and recycled oceanic crust components (e.g., negative ΔεHf coupled with > + 5 ‰ δ7Li), incompatible trace element modelling identifies only the kimberlites as near-primary low-degree partial melts (0.05-3%) of carbonated peridotite. In contrast, the trace element systematics of the carbonatites are difficult to reproduce by partial melting of carbonated peridotite, and the heavy carbon isotopic signatures (-3.6 to - 2.4 ‰ δ13C for carbonatites versus -5.7 to - 3.6 ‰ δ13C for kimberlites) require open-system fractionation at magmatic temperatures. Given that the oxidation state of Earth's mantle at >150 km depth is too reduced to enable larger volumes of 'pure' carbonate melt to migrate, it is reasonable to speculate that percolating near-solidus melts of carbonated peridotite must be silicate-dominated with only dilute carbonate contents, similar to the Tikiusaaq kimberlite compositions (e.g., 16-33 wt.% SiO2). This concept is supported by our findings from the North Atlantic craton where kimberlite and other deeply derived carbonated silicate melts, such as aillikites, exsolve their carbonate components within the shallow lithosphere en route to the Earth's surface, thereby producing carbonatite magmas. The relative abundances of trace elements of such highly

  6. An Evaluation of Quantitative Methods of Determining the Degree of Melting Experienced by a Chondrule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nettles, J. W.; Lofgren, G. E.; Carlson, W. D.; McSween, H. Y., Jr.

    2004-01-01

    Many workers have considered the degree to which partial melting occurred in chondrules they have studied, and this has led to attempts to find reliable methods of determining the degree of melting. At least two quantitative methods have been used in the literature: a convolution index (CVI), which is a ratio of the perimeter of the chondrule as seen in thin section divided by the perimeter of a circle with the same area as the chondrule, and nominal grain size (NGS), which is the inverse square root of the number density of olivines and pyroxenes in a chondrule (again, as seen in thin section). We have evaluated both nominal grain size and convolution index as melting indicators. Nominal grain size was measured on the results of a set of dynamic crystallization experiments previously described, where aliquots of LEW97008(L3.4) were heated to peak temperatures of 1250, 1350, 1370, and 1450 C, representing varying degrees of partial melting of the starting material. Nominal grain size numbers should correlate with peak temperature (and therefore degree of partial melting) if it is a good melting indicator. The convolution index is not directly testable with these experiments because the experiments do not actually create chondrules (and therefore they have no outline on which to measure a CVI). Thus we had no means to directly test how well the CVI predicted different degrees of melting. Therefore, we discuss the use of the CVI measurement and support the discussion with X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data.

  7. Carbonatite and silicate melt metasomatism of the mantle surrounding the Hawaiian plume: Evidence from volatiles, trace elements, and radiogenic isotopes in rejuvenated-stage lavas from Niihau, Hawaii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, Jacqueline; Clague, David A.; Cousens, Brian; Monsalve, Maria Luisa; Uhl, Jessika

    2008-09-01

    produced and contribute to the metasomatic signature. The metasomatic component is best preserved at the margins of the plume, where low extents of melting of the metasomatized depleted mantle surrounding the plume are sampled during flexural uplift. Formation of carbonatite melts may provide a mechanism to transfer plume He to the margins of the plume.

  8. Mid Ocean Ridge Processes at Very Low Melt Supply : Submersible Exploration of Smooth Ultramafic Seafloor at the Southwest Indian Ridge, 64 degree E

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannat, M.; Agrinier, P.; Bickert, M.; Brunelli, D.; Hamelin, C.; Lecoeuvre, A.; Lie Onstad, S.; Maia, M.; Prampolini, M.; Rouméjon, S.; Vitale Brovarone, A.; Besançon, S.; Assaoui, E. M.

    2017-12-01

    Mid-ocean ridges are the Earth's most extensive and active volcanic chains. They are also, particularly at slow spreading rates, rift zones, where plate divergence is in part accommodated by faults. Large offset normal faults, also called detachments, are characteristic of slow-spreading ridges, where they account for the widespread emplacement of mantle-derived rocks at the seafloor. In most cases, these detachments occur together with ridge magmatism, with melt injection and faulting interacting to shape the newly formed oceanic lithosphere. Here, we seek to better understand these interactions and their effects on oceanic accretion by studying the end-member case of a ridge where magmatism is locally almost absent. The portion of the Southwest Indian ridge we are studying has an overal low melt supply, focused to discrete axial volcanoes, leaving almost zero melt to intervening sections of the axial valley. One of these nearly amagmatic section of the ridge, located at 64°E, has been the focus of several past cruises (sampling, mapping and seismic experiments). Here we report on the most recent cruise to the area (RV Pourquoi Pas? with ROV Victor; dec-jan 2017), during which we performed high resolution mapping, submersible exploration and sampling of the ultramafic seafloor and of sparse volcanic formations. Our findings are consistent with the flip-flop detachment hypothesis proposed for this area by Sauter et al. (Nature Geosciences, 2013; ultramafic seafloor forming in the footwall of successive detachment faults, each cutting into the footwall of the previous fault, with an opposite polarity). Our observations also document the extent and geometry of deformation in the footwall of a young axial detachment, the role of mass-wasting for the evolution of this detachment, and provide spectacular evidence for serpentinization-related hydrothermal circulation and for spatial links between faults and volcanic eruptions.

  9. Trace element partitioning between aqueous fluids and silicate melts measured with a proton microprobe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adam, J; Green, T H [Macquarie Univ., North Ryde, NSW (Australia). School of Earth Sciences; Sie, S H [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), North Ryde, NSW (Australia). Div. of Exploration Geoscience

    1997-12-31

    A series of experiments were performed to examine the capacity of H{sub 2}O-fluids to concentrate and transport incompatible elements through peridotitic mantle and metamorphosed (eclogitic) ocean crust. Two naturally occurring rock compositions, trondhjemitic and basanitic, were used in experiments. The proton microprobe was used to determine the trace element concentrations in the solutes from H{sub 2}O-fluids equilibrated at 900-1100 degree C, 2.0 GPa with water saturated melts of trondhjemitic and basanitic compositions. Partitioning data for H{sub 2}O-fluids and silicate melts show that H{sub 2}O-fluids equilibrated with mantle peridotites will not be strongly enriched in trace elements relative to their wallrocks, and thus they melts do not strongly concentrate alkaline earths Th and U, relative to high-field strength elements. 3 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

  10. Trace element partitioning between aqueous fluids and silicate melts measured with a proton microprobe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adam, J.; Green, T.H. [Macquarie Univ., North Ryde, NSW (Australia). School of Earth Sciences; Sie, S.H. [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), North Ryde, NSW (Australia). Div. of Exploration Geoscience

    1996-12-31

    A series of experiments were performed to examine the capacity of H{sub 2}O-fluids to concentrate and transport incompatible elements through peridotitic mantle and metamorphosed (eclogitic) ocean crust. Two naturally occurring rock compositions, trondhjemitic and basanitic, were used in experiments. The proton microprobe was used to determine the trace element concentrations in the solutes from H{sub 2}O-fluids equilibrated at 900-1100 degree C, 2.0 GPa with water saturated melts of trondhjemitic and basanitic compositions. Partitioning data for H{sub 2}O-fluids and silicate melts show that H{sub 2}O-fluids equilibrated with mantle peridotites will not be strongly enriched in trace elements relative to their wallrocks, and thus they melts do not strongly concentrate alkaline earths Th and U, relative to high-field strength elements. 3 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

  11. Life Cycle of Mantle Plumes: A perspective from the Galapagos Plume (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazel, E.; Herzberg, C. T.

    2009-12-01

    plume model of the CLIP. The exact form of the secular cooling curve depends on whether the Gorgona komatiites were produced by the Galapagos or another plume. Iceland also exhibits secular cooling, in agreement with previous studies. In general, mantle plumes for LIPS with Paleocene-Permian ages were hotter and melted more extensively than plumes of more modern oceanic islands. This is interpreted to reflect episodic flow from lower mantle domains that are lithologically and geochemically heterogeneous. The majority of lavas from the present-day Galapagos plume formed in a column where melting ended at pressures less than 2 GPa, and this pressure is highly variable. Melting ended at much lower pressures for lavas from the Cocos and Carnegie Ridges, consistent with the channeling of the Galapagos plume to locations of thinner lithosphere. Low pressures of final melting are also inferred for older CLIP lavas, which suggest that the plume head impacted a mid-ocean ridge system.

  12. Slab melting and magma formation beneath the southern Cascade arc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walowski, Kristina J.; Wallace, Paul J.; Clynne, Michael A.; Rasmussen, D.J.; Weis, D.

    2016-01-01

    The processes that drive magma formation beneath the Cascade arc and other warm-slab subduction zones have been debated because young oceanic crust is predicted to largely dehydrate beneath the forearc during subduction. In addition, geochemical variability along strike in the Cascades has led to contrasting interpretations about the role of volatiles in magma generation. Here, we focus on the Lassen segment of the Cascade arc, where previous work has demonstrated across-arc geochemical variations related to subduction enrichment, and H-isotope data suggest that H2O in basaltic magmas is derived from the final breakdown of chlorite in the mantle portion of the slab. We use naturally glassy, olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI) from the tephra deposits of eight primitive (MgO>7 wt%) basaltic cinder cones to quantify the pre-eruptive volatile contents of mantle-derived melts in this region. The melt inclusions have B concentrations and isotope ratios that are similar to mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), suggesting extensive dehydration of the downgoing plate prior to reaching sub-arc depths and little input of slab-derived B into the mantle wedge. However, correlations of volatile and trace element ratios (H2O/Ce, Cl/Nb, Sr/Nd) in the melt inclusions demonstrate that geochemical variability is the result of variable addition of a hydrous subduction component to the mantle wedge. Furthermore, correlations between subduction component tracers and radiogenic isotope ratios show that the subduction component has less radiogenic Sr and Pb than the Lassen sub-arc mantle, which can be explained by melting of subducted Gorda MORB beneath the arc. Agreement between pMELTS melting models and melt inclusion volatile, major, and trace element data suggests that hydrous slab melt addition to the mantle wedge can produce the range in primitive compositions erupted in the Lassen region. Our results provide further evidence that chlorite-derived fluids from the mantle portion of the

  13. A new approach to reconstructing the composition and evolution of kimberlite melts: A case study of the archetypal Bultfontein kimberlite (Kimberley, South Africa)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soltys, Ashton; Giuliani, Andrea; Phillips, David

    2018-04-01

    the assimilation of lithospheric mantle material. Comparisons with experimentally produced low-degree melts of carbonated lherzolite indicate that the Bultfontein kimberlite could have formed by 0.5% melting of asthenospheric mantle at 6.0-8.6 GPa (i.e., 190-285 km) and 1400-1500 °C. The low calculated Na2O contents (<0.2 wt%), which are inconsistent with derivation from low-degree melting of lherzolite, suggest that an alkali-bearing, volatile-rich fluid was exsolved during ascent or released after emplacement, and subsequently removed.

  14. The peculiar geochemical signatures of São Miguel (Azores) lavas: Metasomatised or recycled mantle sources?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beier, Christoph; Stracke, Andreas; Haase, Karsten M.

    2007-07-01

    The island of São Miguel, Azores consists of four large volcanic systems that exhibit a large systematic intra-island Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope and trace element variability. The westernmost Sete Cidades volcano has moderately enriched Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope ratios. In contrast, lavas from the easternmost Nordeste volcano have unusually high Sr and Pb and low Nd and Hf isotope ratios suggesting a long-term evolution with high Rb/Sr, U/Pb, Th/Pb, Th/U and low Sm/Nd and Lu/Hf parent-daughter ratios. They have trace element concentrations similar to those of the HIMU islands, with the exception of notably higher alkali element (Cs, Rb, K, Ba) and Th concentrations. The time-integrated parent-daughter element evolution of both the Sete Cidades and Nordeste source matches the incompatibility sequence commonly observed during mantle melting and consequently suggests that the mantle source enrichment is caused by a basaltic melt, either as a metasomatic agent or as recycled oceanic crust. Our calculations show that a metasomatic model involving a small degree basaltic melt is able to explain the isotopic enrichment but, invariably, produces far too enriched trace element signatures. We therefore favour a simple recycling model. The trace element and isotopic signatures of the Sete Cidades lavas are consistent with the presence of ancient recycled oceanic crust that has experienced some Pb loss during sub-arc alteration. The coherent correlation of the parent-daughter ratios (e.g. Rb/Sr, Th/U, U/Pb) and incompatible element ratios (e.g. Nb/Zr, Ba/Rb, La/Nb) with the isotope ratios in lavas from the entire island suggest that the Sete Cidades and Nordeste source share a similar genetic origin. The more enriched trace element and isotopic variations of Nordeste can be reproduced by recycled oceanic crust in the Nordeste source that contains small amounts of evolved lavas (˜ 1-2%), possibly from a subducted seamount. The rare occurrence of enriched source signatures comparable to

  15. Molybdenum isotope fractionation in the mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Yu-Hsuan; Halliday, Alex N.; Siebert, Chris; Fitton, J. Godfrey; Burton, Kevin W.; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Harvey, Jason

    2017-02-01

    We report double-spike molybdenum (Mo) isotope data for forty-two mafic and fifteen ultramafic rocks from diverse locations and compare these with results for five chondrites. The δ98/95Mo values (normalized to NIST SRM 3134) range from -0.59 ± 0.04 to +0.10 ± 0.08‰. The compositions of one carbonaceous (CI) and four ordinary chondrites are relatively uniform (-0.14 ± 0.01‰, 95% ci (confidence interval)) in excellent agreement with previous data. These values are just resolvable from the mean of 10 mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) (0.00 ± 0.02‰, 95% ci). The compositions of 13 mantle-derived ultramafic xenoliths from Kilbourne Hole, Tariat and Vitim are more diverse (-0.39 to -0.07‰) with a mean of -0.22 ± 0.06‰ (95% ci). On this basis, the isotopic composition of the bulk silicate Earth (BSE or Primitive Mantle) is within error identical to chondrites. The mean Mo concentration of the ultramafic xenoliths (0.19 ± 0.07 ppm, 95% ci) is similar in magnitude to that of MORB (0.48 ± 0.13 ppm, 95% ci), providing evidence, either for a more compatible behaviour than previously thought or for selective Mo enrichment of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Intraplate and ocean island basalts (OIBs) display significant isotopic variability within a single locality from MORB-like to strongly negative (-0.59 ± 0.04‰). The most extreme values measured are for nephelinites from the Cameroon Line and Trinidade, which also have anomalously high Ce/Pb and low Mo/Ce relative to normal oceanic basalts. δ98/95Mo correlates negatively with Ce/Pb and U/Pb, and positively with Mo/Ce, explicable if a phase such as an oxide or a sulphide liquid selectively retains isotopically heavy Mo in the mantle and fractionates its isotopic composition in low degree partial melts. If residual phases retain Mo during partial melting, it is possible that the [Mo] for the BSE may be misrepresented by values estimated from basalts. This would be consistent with the high Mo

  16. Contrasting geochemical trends in the fertile and refractory parts of the NE Atlantic mantle source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tronnes, R. G.; Debaille, V.; Brandon, A. D.; Waight, T. E.; Graham, D. W.; Williams, A.; Lee, C. A.

    2008-12-01

    Primitive alkaline basalts from the Icelandic off-rift volcanic zones and Jan Mayen represent low-degree melts from the fertile parts of the NE Atlantic mantle. Olivine tholeiites and picrites from the Icelandic rift zones and nearby oceanic spreading ridges are formed by protracted decompressional melting. The V-shaped ridges along the Reykjanes, Kolbeinsey and Aegir ridges indicate that ascending source material is supplied by a pulsating plume and deflected laterally for distances of about 1000 km from Iceland (Jones et al. GGG 2002; Breivik et al. JGR 2006). Plume material deflected in the direction of the rift zones and spreading ridges undergoes extensive melting at shallow level, whereas material deflected in other directions flows laterally at deeper levels and remains largely unmelted and more fertile. The comparison of a sample suite of primitive off-rift basalts from Iceland and Jan Mayen (Debaille et al., in prep.) with olivine tholeiites and picrites from the Icelandic rift zones (mainly Brandon et al. GCA 2007) demonstrate opposing geochemical trends. The degree of source enrichment, expressed by the La/Sm-ratio, is positively and negatively correlated with 87/86Sr and 143/144Nd throughout the entire range of depleted rift zone tholeiites and enriched off-rift basalts. In the rift zone tholeiites the La/Sm-ratio has negative correlations with Mg# and Mg-content and positive correlations with 187/188Os and 3/4He. These four trends have opposite equivalents for the off-rift basalts. The most enriched and alkaline basalts from Jan Mayen and Snæfellsnes have the lowest 3/4He of 6-9*Ra and 187/188Os of 0.12-0.13. The trends seem to require a source component with ancient melt depletion and subsequent enrichment. A subcontinental lithospheric mantle keel (SCLM) is the most likely origin for the enriched component with high LILE, La/Sm and 87/86Sr and low 143/144Nd, 3/4He and 187/188Os. The most enriched alkaline basalts have notably higher Mg# and Mg and

  17. Markov Chain Monte Carlo Inversion of Mantle Temperature and Composition, with Application to Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Eric; Petersen, Kenni; Lesher, Charles

    2017-04-01

    Basalts are formed by adiabatic decompression melting of the asthenosphere, and thus provide records of the thermal, chemical and dynamical state of the upper mantle. However, uniquely constraining the importance of these factors through the lens of melting is challenging given the inevitability that primary basalts are the product of variable mixing of melts derived from distinct lithologies having different melting behaviors (e.g. peridotite vs. pyroxenite). Forward mantle melting models, such as REEBOX PRO [1], are useful tools in this regard, because they can account for differences in melting behavior and melt pooling processes, and provide estimates of bulk crust composition and volume that can be compared with geochemical and geophysical constraints, respectively. Nevertheless, these models require critical assumptions regarding mantle temperature, and lithologic abundance(s)/composition(s), all of which are poorly constrained. To provide better constraints on these parameters and their uncertainties, we have coupled a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling technique with the REEBOX PRO melting model. The MCMC method systematically samples distributions of key REEBOX PRO input parameters (mantle potential temperature, and initial abundances and compositions of the source lithologies) based on a likelihood function that describes the 'fit' of the model outputs (bulk crust composition and volume and end-member peridotite and pyroxenite melts) relative to geochemical and geophysical constraints and their associated uncertainties. As a case study, we have tested and applied the model to magmatism along Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, where pyroxenite has been inferred to be present in the mantle source. This locale is ideal because there exist sufficient geochemical and geophysical data to estimate bulk crust compositions and volumes, as well as the range of near-parental melts derived from the mantle. We find that for the case of passive upwelling, the models

  18. Petrological Constraints on Melt Generation Beneath the Asal Rift (Djibouti)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinzuti, P.; Humler, E.; Manighetti, I.; Gaudemer, Y.; Bézos, A.

    2010-12-01

    The temporal evolution of the mantle melting processes in the Asal Rift is evaluated from the chemical composition of 95 lava flows sampled along 10 km of the rift axis and 8 km off-axis (that is for the last 650 ky). The major element composition and the trace element ratios of aphyric basalts across the Asal Rift show a symmetric pattern relative to the rift axis and preserved a clear signal of mantle melting depth variations. FeO, Fe8.0, Sm/YbN and Zr/Y increase, whereas SiO2 and Lu/HfN decrease from the rift axis to the rift shoulders. These variations are qualitatively consistent with a shallower melting beneath the rift axis than off-axis and the data show that the melting regime is inconsistent with a passive upwelling model. In order to quantify the depth range and extent of melting, we invert Na8.0 and Fe8.0 contents of basalts based on a pure active upwelling model. Beneath the rift axis, melting paths are shallow, from 60 to 30 km. These melting paths are consistent with adiabatic melting in normal-temperature asthenosphere, beneath an extensively thinned mantle lithosphere. In contrast, melting on the rift shoulders occurred beneath a thick mantle lithosphere and required mantle solidus temperature 180°C hotter than normal (melting paths from 110 to 75 km). The calculated rate of lithospheric thinning is high (6.0 cm yr-1) and could explain the survival of a metastable garnet within the mantle at depth shallower than 90 km beneath the modern Asal Rift.

  19. An inverted continental Moho and serpentinization of the forearc mantle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bostock, M G; Hyndman, R D; Rondenay, S; Peacock, S M

    2002-05-30

    Volatiles that are transported by subducting lithospheric plates to depths greater than 100 km are thought to induce partial melting in the overlying mantle wedge, resulting in arc magmatism and the addition of significant quantities of material to the overlying lithosphere. Asthenospheric flow and upwelling within the wedge produce increased lithospheric temperatures in this back-arc region, but the forearc mantle (in the corner of the wedge) is thought to be significantly cooler. Here we explore the structure of the mantle wedge in the southern Cascadia subduction zone using scattered teleseismic waves recorded on a dense portable array of broadband seismometers. We find very low shear-wave velocities in the cold forearc mantle indicated by the exceptional occurrence of an 'inverted' continental Moho, which reverts to normal polarity seaward of the Cascade arc. This observation provides compelling evidence for a highly hydrated and serpentinized forearc region, consistent with thermal and petrological models of the forearc mantle wedge. This serpentinized material is thought to have low strength and may therefore control the down-dip rupture limit of great thrust earthquakes, as well as the nature of large-scale flow in the mantle wedge.

  20. The Origin of the Compositional Diversity of Mercury's Surface Constrained From Experimental Melting of Enstatite Chondrites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boujibar, A.; Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Danielson, L.

    2015-01-01

    Mercury is known as an endmember planet as it is the most reduced terrestrial planet with the highest core/mantle ratio. MESSENGER spacecraft has shown that its surface is FeO-poor (2-4 wt%) and Srich (up to 6-7 wt%), which confirms the reducing nature of its silicate mantle. Moreover, high resolution images revealed large volcanic plains and abundant pyroclastic deposits, suggesting important melting stages of the Mercurian mantle. This interpretation was confirmed by the high crustal thickness (up to 100 km) derived from Mercury's gravity field. This is also corroborated by a recent experimental result that showed that Mercurian partial melts are expected to be highly buoyant within the Mercurian mantle and could have risen from depths as high as the core-mantle boundary. In addition MESSENGER spacecraft provided relatively precise data on major elemental compositions of Mercury's surface. These results revealed important chemical and mineralogical heterogeneities that suggested several stages of differentiation and re-melting processes. However, the extent and nature of compositional variations produced by partial melting remains poorly constrained for the particular compositions of Mercury (very reducing conditions, low FeO-contents and high sulfur-contents). Therefore, in this study, we investigated the processes that lead to the various compositions of Mercury's surface. Melting experiments with bulk Mercury-analogue compositions were performed and compared to the compositions measured by MESSENGER.

  1. Carbonate-silicate liquid immiscibility in the mantle propels kimberlite magma ascent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamenetsky, Vadim S.; Yaxley, Gregory M.

    2015-06-01

    Kimberlite is a rare volcanic rock renowned as the major host of diamonds and originated at the base of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Although kimberlite magmas are dense in crystals and deeply-derived rock fragments, they ascend to the surface extremely rapidly, enabling diamonds to survive. The unique physical properties of kimberlite magmas depend on the specific compositions of their parental melts that, in absence of historical eruptions and due to pervasive alteration of kimberlite rocks, remain highly debatable. We explain exceptionally rapid ascent of kimberlite magma from mantle depths by combining empirical data on the essentially carbonatite composition of the kimberlite primary melts and experimental evidence on interaction of the carbonate liquids with mantle minerals. Our experimental study shows that orthopyroxene is completely dissolved in a Na2CO3 melt at 2.0-5.0 GPa and 1000-1200 °C. The dissolution of orthopyroxene results in homogeneous silicate-carbonate melt at 5.0 GPa and 1200 °C, and is followed by unmixing of carbonate and carbonated silicate melts and formation of stable magmatic emulsion at lower pressures and temperatures. The dispersed silicate melt has a significant capacity for storing a carbonate component in the deep mantle (13 wt% CO2 at 2.0 GPa). We envisage that this component reaches saturation and is gradually released as CO2 bubbles, as the silicate melt globules are transported upwards through the lithosphere by the carbonatite magma. The globules of unmixed, CO2-rich silicate melt are continuously produced upon further reaction between the natrocarbonatite melt and mantle peridotite. On decompression the dispersed silicate melt phase ensures a continuous supply of CO2 bubbles that decrease density and increase buoyancy and promote rapid ascent of the magmatic emulsion.

  2. X-ray Raman scattering study of MgSiO₃ glass at high pressure: Implication for triclustered MgSiO₃ melt in Earth's mantle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Sung Keun; Lin, Jung-Fu; Cai, Yong Q.; Hiraoka, Nozomu; Eng, Peter J.; Okuchi, Takuo; Mao, Ho-kwang; Meng, Yue; Hu, Michael Y.; Chow, Paul; Shu, Jinfu; Li, Baosheng; Fukui, Hiroshi; Lee, Bum Han; Kim, Hyun Na; Yoo, Choong-Shik [SNU; (LLNL); (NSRRC); (Okayama); (UC); (CIW); (Wash State U); (Nagoya); (SBU)

    2015-02-09

    Silicate melts at the top of the transition zone and the core-mantle boundary have significant influences on the dynamics and properties of Earth's interior. MgSiO3-rich silicate melts were among the primary components of the magma ocean and thus played essential roles in the chemical differentiation of the early Earth. Diverse macroscopic properties of silicate melts in Earth's interior, such as density, viscosity, and crystal-melt partitioning, depend on their electronic and short-range local structures at high pressures and temperatures. Despite essential roles of silicate melts in many geophysical and geodynamic problems, little is known about their nature under the conditions of Earth's interior, including the densification mechanisms and the atomistic origins of the macroscopic properties at high pressures. Here, we have probed local electronic structures of MgSiO3 glass (as a precursor to Mg-silicate melts), using high-pressure x-ray Raman spectroscopy up to 39 GPa, in which high-pressure oxygen K-edge features suggest the formation of tricluster oxygens (oxygen coordinated with three Si frameworks; [3]O) between 12 and 20 GPa. Our results indicate that the densification in MgSiO3 melt is thus likely to be accompanied with the formation of triculster, in addition to a reduction in nonbridging oxygens. The pressure-induced increase in the fraction of oxygen triclusters >20 GPa would result in enhanced density, viscosity, and crystal-melt partitioning, and reduced element diffusivity in the MgSiO3 melt toward deeper part of the Earth's lower mantle.

  3. Physical and chemical consequences of crustal melting in fossil mature intra-oceanic arcs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, J.; Burg, J.-P.

    2012-04-01

    Seismic velocity models of active intra-oceanic arcs show roots with densities and P-wave velocities intermediate to classical lower oceanic crust (density; ~3.0, Vp: ~7.0 km/s) and uppermost harzburgitic mantle (density: 3.2-3.3, Vp: 7.9-8.0 km/s). Most studies on active and fossil exhumed island arcs interpret the petrological nature of this root as ultramafic cumulates crystallized from primitive melts and/or as pyroxenites formed via basalt-peridotite reactions. Igneous cumulates and pyroxenites have densities close to or above that of uppermost mantle rocks; they can consequently undergo gravity-driven delamination, a process thought to drive the bulk composition of the arc toward an andesitic, continental crust-like composition. Dehydration and melting reactions are reported from exposed arc roots (Jijal complex in Kohistan; Amalaoulaou arc in Mali; Fiordland arc in New-Zealand). Intense influx of mantle-derived basaltic magmas at high pressure in a thickening island arc can enable lower crustal rocks to locally cross the dehydration-melting solidus of hydrous subalkaline basalts. Thermodynamic modeling using Perple_X, geochemical analysis and compilation of experimental and field data have been combined to constrain processes, conditions and consequences of intra-arc melting. The position of the solidus in a P-T grid is strongly dependent of the bulk water content: at 1 GPa, it is as low as 750 °C for water saturated hornblende-gabbros (>1 wt% H2O) and 830°C for gabbros with 0.1 wt% H2O. Incipient melting (F conditions to trigger gravity-driven delamination of the root and could lead to introduction of fertile arc garnet pyroxenites within the upper mantle. However, in Kohistan and at Amalaoulaou, the dense garnet-clinopyroxene residues are dispersed in the arc roots; they are intermingled with hornblendite and pyroxenite bodies. The small density contrast between garnet granulites and the harzburgitic mantle, and the low volumes of garnet

  4. Oceanization of the lithospheric mantle: the study case of the spinel peridotites from Monte Maggiore (Corsica, France).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piccardo, G. B.

    2009-04-01

    The Monte Maggiore peridotite body, cropping out within the Alpine Corsica metamorphic belt, is an ophiolite massif derived from the more internal setting of the Jurassic Ligurian Tethys basin. It is mostly composed by spinel and plagioclase peridotites that are cut by MORB gabbroic dykes. The spinel peridotites, similarly to other ophiolitic peridotites from the Internal Ligurides, have been considered, on the basis of their low abundance of fusible components, low Si and high Mg contents, as refractory residua after MORB-type partial melting related to the formation of the Jurassic basin (e.g. Rampone et al., 1997). Recent studies (e.g. Müntener & Piccardo 2003; Rampone et al. 2008) have evidenced that these depleted spinel peridotites show diffuse melt-rock interaction micro-textures and contrasting bulk vs. mineral chemistry features which cannot be simply reconciled with partial melting. Accordingly, these peridotites have been recognized as reactive peridotites, formed by interaction of pristine peridotites with melts percolating by porous flow. Geochemical data have evidenced the depleted MORB signature of the percolating melts. Recent field studies at Monte Maggiore (Piccardo, 2007; Piccardo & Guarnieri, 2009), have revealed: 1) the presence and local abundance of pyroxenite-bearing, cpx-rich spinel lherzolites and 2) the replacement relationships of the reactive peridotites on the pyroxenite-bearing lherzolite rock-types. The pyroxenite-veined spinel lherzolites record a composite history of subsolidus evolution under lithospheric P-T conditions, thus indicating their provenance from the sub-continental lithospheric mantle. Accordingly, the pristine sub-continental mantle protoliths were infiltrated by MORB melts and transformed by melt-rock interaction to reactive spinel peridotites and refertilized by melt impregnation to plagioclase-enriched peridotites. Available isotopic data on the Mt. Maggiore spinel and plagioclase peridotites and gabbroic rocks

  5. Constraining lithospheric removal and asthenospheric input to melts in Central Asia: A geochemical study of Triassic to Cretaceous magmatic rocks in the Gobi Altai (Mongolia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheldrick, Thomas C.; Barry, Tiffany L.; Van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Kempton, Pamela D.

    2018-01-01

    Throughout northeast China, eastern and southern Mongolia, and eastern Russia there is widespread Mesozoic intracontinental magmatism. Extensive studies on the Chinese magmatic rocks have suggested lithospheric mantle removal was a driver of the magmatism. The timing, distribution and potential diachroneity of such lithospheric mantle removal remains poorly constrained. Here, we examine successions of Mesozoic lavas and shallow intrusive volcanic plugs from the Gobi Altai in southern Mongolia that appear to be unrelated to regional, relatively small-scale deformation; at the time of magmatism, the area was 200 km from any active margin, or, after its Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous closure, from the suture of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean. 40Ar/39Ar radiometric age data place magmatic events in the Gobi Altai between 220 to 99.2 Ma. This succession overlaps Chinese successions and therefore provides an opportunity to constrain whether Mesozoic lithosphere removal may provide an explanation for the magmatism here too, and if so, when. We show that Triassic to Lower Cretaceous lavas in the Gobi Altai (from Dulaan Bogd, Noyon Uul, Bulgantiin Uul, Jaran Bogd and Tsagaan Tsav) are all light rare-earth element (LREE) and large-ion lithophile element (LILE)-enriched, with negative Nb and Ta anomalies (Nb/La and Ta/La ≤ 1). Geochemical data suggest that these lavas formed by low degrees of partial melting of a metasomatised lithospheric mantle that may have been modified by melts derived from recycled rutile-bearing eclogite. A gradual reduction in the involvement of garnet in the source of these lavas points towards a shallowing of the depth of melting after 125 Ma. By contrast, geochemical and isotope data from the youngest magmatic rocks in the area - 107-99 Ma old volcanic plugs from Tsost Magmatic Field - have OIB-like trace element patterns and are interpreted to have formed by low degrees of partial melting of a garnet-bearing lherzolite mantle source. These rocks did

  6. The oxidation state of Fe in MORB glasses and the oxygen fugacity of the upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cottrell, Elizabeth; Kelley, Katherine A.

    2011-05-01

    Micro-analytical determination of Fe3+/∑Fe ratios in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) glasses using micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) spectroscopy reveals a substantially more oxidized upper mantle than determined by previous studies. Here, we show that global MORBs yield average Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of 0.16 ± 0.01 (n = 103), which trace back to primary MORB melts equilibrated at the conditions of the quartz-fayalite-magnetite (QFM) buffer. Our results necessitate an upward revision of the Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of MORBs, mantle oxygen fugacity, and the ferric iron content of the mantle relative to previous wet chemical determinations. We show that only 0.01 (absolute, or Co-variations of Fe3+/∑Fe ratios in global MORB with indices of low-pressure fractional crystallization are consistent with Fe3+ behaving incompatibly in shallow MORB magma chambers. MORB Fe3+/∑Fe ratios do not, however, vary with indices of the extent of mantle melting (e.g., Na2O(8)) or water concentration. We offer two hypotheses to explain these observations: The bulk partition coefficient of Fe3+ may be higher during peridotite melting than previously thought, and may vary with temperature, or redox exchange between sulfide and sulfate species could buffer mantle melting at ~ QFM. Both explanations, in combination with the measured MORB Fe3+/∑Fe ratios, point to a fertile MORB source with greater than 0.3 wt.% Fe2O3.

  7. The subcontinental mantle beneath southern New Zealand, characterised by helium isotopes in intraplate basalts and gas-rich springs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoke, L.; Poreda, R.; Reay, A.; Weaver, S. D.

    2000-07-01

    New helium isotope data measured in Cenozoic intraplate basalts and their mantle xenoliths are compared with present-day mantle helium emission on a regional scale from thermal and nonthermal gas discharges on the South Island of New Zealand and the offshore Chatham Islands. Cenozoic intraplate basaltic volcanism in southern New Zealand has ocean island basalt affinities but is restricted to continental areas and absent from adjacent Pacific oceanic crust. Its distribution is diffuse and widespread, it is of intermittent timing and characterised by low magma volumes. Most of the 3He/ 4He ratios measured in fluid inclusions in mantle xenocrysts and basalt phenocrysts such as olivine, garnet, and amphibole fall within the narrow range of 8.5 ± 1.5 Ra (Ra is the atmospheric 3He/ 4He ratio) with a maximum value of 11.5 Ra. This range is characteristic of the relatively homogeneous and degassed upper MORB-mantle helium reservoir. No helium isotope ratios typical of the lower less degassed mantle (>12 Ra), such as exemplified by the modern hot-spot region of Hawaii (with up to 32 Ra) were measured. Helium isotope ratios of less than 8 Ra are interpreted in terms of dilution of upper mantle helium with a radiogenic component, due to either age of crystallisation or small-scale mantle heterogeneities caused by mixing of crustal material into the upper mantle. The crude correlation between age of samples and helium isotopes with generally lower R/Ra values in mantle xenoliths compared with host rock phenocrysts and the in general depleted Nd and Sr isotope ratios and the light rare earth element enrichment of the basalts supports derivation of melts as small melt fractions from a depleted upper mantle, with posteruptive ingrowth of radiogenic helium as a function of lithospheric age. In comparison, the regional helium isotope survey of thermal and nonthermal gas discharges of the South Island of New Zealand shows that mantle 3He anomalies in general do not show an obvious

  8. Interaction of peridotite with Ca-rich carbonatite melt at 3.1 and 6.5 GPa: Implication for merwinite formation in upper mantle, and for the metasomatic origin of sublithospheric diamonds with Ca-rich suite of inclusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharygin, Igor S.; Shatskiy, Anton; Litasov, Konstantin D.; Golovin, Alexander V.; Ohtani, Eiji; Pokhilenko, Nikolay P.

    2018-03-01

    We performed an experimental study, designed to reproduce the formation of an unusual merwinite + olivine-bearing mantle assemblage recently described as a part of a Ca-rich suite of inclusions in sublithospheric diamonds, through the interaction of peridotite with an alkali-rich Ca-carbonatite melt, derived from deeply subducted oceanic crust. In the first set of experiments, we studied the reaction between powdered Mg-silicates, olivine and orthopyroxene, and a model Ca-carbonate melt (molar Na:K:Ca = 1:1:2), in a homogeneous mixture, at 3.1 and 6.5 GPa. In these equilibration experiments, we observed the formation of a merwinite + olivine-bearing assemblage at 3.1 GPa and 1200 °C and at 6.5 GPa and 1300-1400 °C. The melts coexisting with this assemblage have a low Si and high Ca content (Ca# = molar 100 × Ca/(Ca + Mg) > 0.57). In the second set of experiments, we investigated reaction rims produced by interaction of the same Ca-carbonate melt (molar Na:K:Ca = 1:1:2) with Mg-silicate, olivine and orthopyroxene, single crystals at 3.1 GPa and 1300 °C and at 6.5 GPa and 1400 °C. The interaction of the Ca-carbonate melt with olivine leads to merwinite formation through the expected reaction: 2Mg2SiO4 (olivine) + 6CaCO3 (liquid) = Ca3MgSi2O8 (merwinite) + 3CaMg(CO3)2 (liquid). Thus, our experiments confirm the idea that merwinite in the upper mantle may originate via interaction of peridotite with Ca-rich carbonatite melt, and that diamonds hosting merwinite may have a metasomatic origin. It is remarkable that the interaction of the Ca-carbonate melt with orthopyroxene crystals does not produce merwinite both at 3.1 and 6.5 GPa. This indicates that olivine grain boundaries are preferable for merwinite formation in the upper mantle.

  9. Evaluating the Sensitivity of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment to a Hydrous Melt at 410 km Depth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, A. M.; Milne, G. A.; Ranalli, G.

    2017-12-01

    We present a sensitivity analysis aimed at testing whether observables related to GIA can support or refute the existence of a low viscosity partial melt layer located above the mantle transition zone, as required by the so-called "Transition Zone Water Filter" model (Bercovici and Karato 2003). In total, 400 model runs were performed sampling a range of melt layer thicknesses (1, 10 & 20 km) and viscosities (1015 - 1019 Pas) as well as plausible viscosity values in the upper and lower mantle. Comparing model output of postglacial decay times and j2, 18 of the considered viscosity models were found to be compatible with all of the observational constraints. Amongst these, only three `background' upper and lower mantle viscosities are permitted regardless of the properties of the melt layer: an upper mantle value of 3×1020 Pas and lower mantle values of 1022, 3×1022 and 5×1022 Pas. Concerning the properties of the melt layer itself, a thin (1 km) layer may have any of the investigated viscosities (1015 to 1019 Pas). For thicker melt layers, the viscosity must be ≥1018 Pas (20 km) or ≥1017 Pas (10 km). Our results indicate clear parameter trade-offs between the properties of the melt layer and the background viscosity structure. Given that the observations permit several values of lower mantle viscosity, we conclude that tightening constraints on this parameter would be valuable for future investigation of the type presented here. Furthermore, while decay times from both locations considered in this investigation (Ångerman River, Sweden; Richmond Gulf, Canada) offer meaningful constraints on viscosity structure, the value for Richmond Gulf is significantly more uncertain and so increasing its precision would likely result in improved viscosity constraints.

  10. Tracking the Depleted Mantle Signature in Melt Inclusions and Residual Glass of Basaltic Martian Shergottites using Secondary Ionization Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Timothy J.; Simon, Justin I.; Jones, John H.; Usui, Tomohiro; Economos, Rita C.; Schmitt, Axel K.; McKeegan, Kevin D.

    2013-01-01

    Trace element abundances of depleted shergottite magmas recorded by olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI) and interstitial mesostasis glass were measured using the Cameca ims-1270 ion microprobe. Two meteorites: Tissint, an olivine-­phyric basaltic shergottite which fell over Morocco July 18th 2001; and the Antarctic meteorite Yamato 980459 (Y98), an olivine-phyric basaltic shergottite with abundant glassy mesostasis have been studied. Chondrite-­normalized REE patterns for MI in Tissint and Y98 are characteristically LREE depleted and, within analytical uncertainty, parallel those of their respective whole rock composition; supporting each meteorite to represent a melt composition that has experienced closed-­system crystallization. REE profiles for mesostasis glass in Y98 lie about an order of magnitude higher than those from the MI; with REE profiles for Tissint MI falling in between. Y98 MI have the highest average Sm/Nd and Y/Ce ratios, reflecting their LREE depletion and further supporting Y98 as one of our best samples to probe the depleted shergotitte mantle. In general, Zr/Nb ratios overlap between Y98 and Tissint MI, Ce/Nb ratios overlap between Y98 MI and mesostasis glass, and Sm/Nd ratios overlap between Y98 mesostasis glass and Tissint MI. These features support similar sources for both, but with subtle geochemical differences that may reflect different melting conditions or fractionation paths during ascent from the mantle. Interestingly, the REE patterns for both Y98 bulk and MI analyses display a flattening of the LREE that suggests a crustal contribution to the Y98 parent melt. This observation has important implications for the origins of depleted and enriched shergottites.

  11. Melting in super-earths.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stixrude, Lars

    2014-04-28

    We examine the possible extent of melting in rock-iron super-earths, focusing on those in the habitable zone. We consider the energetics of accretion and core formation, the timescale of cooling and its dependence on viscosity and partial melting, thermal regulation via the temperature dependence of viscosity, and the melting curves of rock and iron components at the ultra-high pressures characteristic of super-earths. We find that the efficiency of kinetic energy deposition during accretion increases with planetary mass; considering the likely role of giant impacts and core formation, we find that super-earths probably complete their accretionary phase in an entirely molten state. Considerations of thermal regulation lead us to propose model temperature profiles of super-earths that are controlled by silicate melting. We estimate melting curves of iron and rock components up to the extreme pressures characteristic of super-earth interiors based on existing experimental and ab initio results and scaling laws. We construct super-earth thermal models by solving the equations of mass conservation and hydrostatic equilibrium, together with equations of state of rock and iron components. We set the potential temperature at the core-mantle boundary and at the surface to the local silicate melting temperature. We find that ancient (∼4 Gyr) super-earths may be partially molten at the top and bottom of their mantles, and that mantle convection is sufficiently vigorous to sustain dynamo action over the whole range of super-earth masses.

  12. Geochemical insights into the lithology of mantle sources for Cenozoic alkali basalts in West Qinling, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Li-Qun; Zheng, Fei; Zhao, Zi-Fu; Zheng, Yong-Fei

    2018-03-01

    Although alkali basalts are common in oceanic islands and continental rifts, the lithology of their mantle sources is still controversial. While the peridotite is usually viewed as a common source lithology, there are increasing studies suggesting significant contributions from ultramafic metasomatites such as carbonated peridotite, pyroxenite and hornblendite to the origin of alkali basalts. The present study indicates that carbonated peridotite plus hornblendite would have served as the mantle sources of Cenozoic alkali basalts from the West Qinling orogen in China. The target basalts show low SiO2 contents of 36.9 to 40.8 wt% and highly variable Na2O + K2O contents from 0.86 to 4.77 wt%, but high CaO contents of 12.5 to 16.3 wt% and CaO/Al2O3 ratios of 1.42 to 2.19. They are highly enriched in the majority of incompatible trace elements, but depleted in Rb, K, Pb, Zr, Hf, and Ti. Furthermore, they exhibit high (La/Yb)N, Zr/Hf, Ce/Pb and Nb/Ta ratios, but low Ti/Eu and Hf/Sm ratios. Generally, with increasing (La/Yb)N and CaO/Al2O3 ratios, their Ti/Eu and Hf/Sm ratios decrease whereas their Zr/Hf, Ce/Pb and Nb/Ta ratios increase. These major and trace element features are similar to those of carbonatites and hornblendite-derived melts to some extent, but significantly different from those of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). This suggests that the alkali basalts would be originated from metasomatic mantle sources. A comparison of the major-trace elements in the alkali basalts with those of some representative mantle-derived melts indicates that the source lithology of alkali basalts is a kind of ultramafic metasomatites that are composed of carbonated peridotite and hornblendite. Such metasomatites would be generated by reaction of the depleted MORB mantle peridotite with hydrous, carbonate-bearing felsic melts derived from partial melting of the subducted Paleotethyan oceanic crust. Therefore, the melt-peridotite reaction at the slab-mantle interface in the

  13. Mineral chemistry and geochemistry of ophiolitic metaultramafics from Um Halham and Fawakhir, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Karim, Abdel-Aal M.; Ali, Shehata; El-Shafei, Shaimaa A.

    2018-03-01

    This study is focused on ophiolitic metaultramafics from Um Halham and Fawakhir, Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The rocks include serpentinized peridotites, serpentinites together with talc- and quartz-carbonates. The primary spinel relict is Al-chromite [Cr# > 60], which is replaced by Cr-magnetite during metamorphism. The high Cr# of Al-chromites resembles supra-subduction zone (SSZ) peridotites and suggests derivation from the deeper portion of the mantle section with boninitic affinity. These mantle rocks equilibrated with boninitic melt have been generated by high melting degrees. The estimated melting degrees ( 19-24%) lie within the range of SSZ peridotites. The high Cr# of spinel and Fo content of olivine together with the narrow compositional range suggest a mantle residual origin. Serpentinized peridotite and serpentinites have low Al2O3/SiO2 ratios (mostly serpentinization process. Moreover, they have very low Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf concentrations along with sub-chondritic Nb/Ta (0.3-16) and Zr/Hf (mostly 1-20) ratios further confirming that their mantle source was depleted by earlier melting extraction event. The high chondrite normalized (La/Sm)N ratios (average 10) reflect input of subduction-related slab melts/fluids into their mantle source.

  14. Lithospheric mantle evolution in the Afro-Arabian domain: Insights from Bir Ali mantle xenoliths (Yemen)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sgualdo, P.; Aviado, K.; Beccaluva, L.; Bianchini, G.; Blichert-Toft, J.; Bryce, J. G.; Graham, D. W.; Natali, C.; Siena, F.

    2015-05-01

    Detailed petrological and geochemical investigations of an extensive sampling of mantle xenoliths from the Neogene-Quaternary Bir Ali diatreme (southern Yemen) indicate that the underlying lithospheric mantle consists predominantly of medium- to fine-grained (often foliated) spinel-peridotites (85-90%) and spinel-pyroxenites (10-15%) showing thermobarometric estimates in the P-T range of 0.9-2.0 GPa and 900-1150 °C. Peridotites, including lherzolites, harzburgites and dunites delineate continuous chemical, modal and mineralogical variations compatible with large extractions of basic melts occurring since the late Proterozoic (~ 2 Ga, according to Lu-Hf model ages). Pyroxenites may represent intrusions of subalkaline basic melts interacting and equilibrated with the host peridotite. Subsequent metasomatism has led to modal changes, with evidence of reaction patches and clinopyroxene and spinel destabilization, as well as formation of new phases (glass, amphibole and feldspar). These changes are accompanied by enrichment of the most incompatible elements and isotopic compositions. 143Nd/144Nd ranges from 0.51419 to 0.51209 (εNd from + 30.3 to - 10.5), 176Hf/177Hf from 0.28459 to 0.28239 (εHf from + 64.4 to - 13.6), and 208Pb/204Pb from 36.85 to 41.56, thus extending from the depleted mantle (DM) towards the enriched OIB mantle (EM and HIMU) components. 3He/4He (R/RA) ratios vary from 7.2 to 7.9 with He concentrations co-varying with the most incompatible element enrichment, in parallel with metasomatic effects. These metasomatic events, particularly effective in harzburgites and dunites, are attributable to the variable interaction with alkaline basic melts related to the general extensional and rifting regime affecting the East Africa-Arabian domain during the Cenozoic. In this respect, Bir Ali mantle xenoliths resemble those occurring along the Arabian margins and the East Africa Rift system, similarly affected by alkaline metasomatism, whereas they are

  15. Two magma bodies beneath the summit of Kilauea Volcano unveiled by isotopically distinct melt deliveries from the mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietruszka, Aaron J.; Heaton, Daniel E.; Marske, Jared P.; Garcia, Michael O.

    2015-01-01

    The summit magma storage reservoir of Kīlauea Volcano is one of the most important components of the magmatic plumbing system of this frequently active basaltic shield-building volcano. Here we use new high-precision Pb isotopic analyses of Kīlauea summit lavas—from 1959 to the active Halema‘uma‘u lava lake—to infer the number, size, and interconnectedness of magma bodies within the volcano's summit reservoir. From 1971 to 1982, the 206Pb/204Pb ratios of the lavas define two separate magma mixing trends that correlate with differences in vent location and/or pre-eruptive magma temperature. These relationships, which contrast with a single magma mixing trend for lavas from 1959 to 1968, indicate that Kīlauea summit eruptions since at least 1971 were supplied from two distinct magma bodies. The locations of these magma bodies are inferred to coincide with two major deformation centers identified by geodetic monitoring of the volcano's summit region: (1) the main locus of the summit reservoir ∼2–4 km below the southern rim of Kīlauea Caldera and (2) a shallower magma body 4 km3 of lava erupted), must therefore be sustained by a nearly continuous supply of new melt from the mantle. The model results show that a minimum of four compositionally distinct, mantle-derived magma batches were delivered to the volcano (at least three directly to the summit reservoir) since 1959. These melt inputs correlate with the initiation of energetic (1959 Kīlauea Iki) and/or sustained (1969–1974 Mauna Ulu, 1983-present Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō and 2008-present Halema‘uma‘u) eruptions. Thus, Kīlauea's eruptive behavior is partly tied to the delivery of new magma batches from the volcano's source region within the Hawaiian mantle plume.

  16. Dynamical geochemistry of the mantle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. F. Davies

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The reconciliation of mantle chemistry with the structure of the mantle inferred from geophysics and dynamical modelling has been a long-standing problem. This paper reviews three main aspects. First, extensions and refinements of dynamical modelling and theory of mantle processing over the past decade. Second, a recent reconsideration of the implications of mantle heterogeneity for melting, melt migration, mantle differentiation and mantle segregation. Third, a recent proposed shift in the primitive chemical baseline of the mantle inferred from observations of non-chondritic 142Nd in the Earth. It seems most issues can now be resolved, except the level of heating required to maintain the mantle's thermal evolution.

    A reconciliation of refractory trace elements and their isotopes with the dynamical mantle, proposed and given preliminary quantification by Hofmann, White and Christensen, has been strengthened by work over the past decade. The apparent age of lead isotopes and the broad refractory-element differences among and between ocean island basalts (OIBs and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs can now be quantitatively accounted for with some assurance.

    The association of the least radiogenic helium with relatively depleted sources and their location in the mantle have been enigmatic. The least radiogenic helium samples have recently been recognised as matching the proposed non-chondritic primitive mantle. It has also been proposed recently that noble gases reside in a so-called hybrid pyroxenite assemblage that is the result of melt from fusible pods reacting with surrounding refractory peridotite and refreezing. Hybrid pyroxenite that is off-axis may not remelt and erupt at MORs, so its volatile constituents would recirculate within the mantle. Hybrid pyroxenite is likely to be denser than average mantle, and thus some would tend to settle in the D" zone at the base of the mantle, along with some old subducted

  17. Late-orogenic mantle garnet pyroxenites evidence mantle refertilization during exhumation of orogenic belt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chazot, G.; France, L.; Kornprobst, J.; Dallai, L.; Vannucci, R.

    2008-12-01

    The petrological and geochemical study of garnet bearing pyroxenites from four localities (FMC, Morocco, Jordan, Cameroon) demonstrates that these rocks are cumulates crystallised in the lithospheric mantle domain. Metamorphic reactions, exsolutions and trace elements WR analysis demonstrate that their crystallisation pressure ranges between 1 and 2GPa (30 to 60km). The elaboration of the PTt paths for the studied samples attests of important movements in the respective lithospheres. Replaced in the geodynamical contexts, the samples are interpreted to represent the crystallisation of melts formed during exhumation of orogenic domains. Radiogenic isotopes (Sr-Nd) show that in a very same region, the samples are isotopicaly heterogeneous but are similar to the respective regional lithosphere. Initial isotopic ratios lead to propose that the FMC samples have crystallised at the end of the Hercynian orogen and that the samples from the other localities (Morocco, Jordan and Cameroon) have crystallised at the end of the Pan-African orogen. After recalculation at the crystallisation time, the isotopic compositions are in good agreement with the respective regional lithosphere ones and so samples of this study could represent the product of the melting of these lithospheres. The analyses of oxygen stable isotopes allow to precise the model; they show that twelve of the samples come from the melting of a lherzolitic mantle and that the four others come from the melting of a heterogeneous mantle formed of lherzolites and eclogites. The presence of some hydrous minerals such as amphiboles and micas and the trace elements WR analyses show that some of the samples were affected by a late metasomatic event. Results of our study show that thermal relaxation following orogenic events lead to the crystallisation of pyroxenites in the lithosphere. The presence of lage amounts of mantle pyroxenites in old orogenic regions confers physical and chemical particularities to these

  18. Mantle sources and magma evolution of the Rooiberg lavas, Bushveld Large Igneous Province, South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Günther, T.; Haase, K. M.; Klemd, R.; Teschner, C.

    2018-06-01

    We report a new whole-rock dataset of major and trace element abundances and 87Sr/86Sr-143Nd/144Nd isotope ratios for basaltic to rhyolitic lavas from the Rooiberg continental large igneous province (LIP). The formation of the Paleoproterozoic Rooiberg Group is contemporaneous with and spatially related to the layered intrusion of the Bushveld Complex, which stratigraphically separates the volcanic succession. Our new data confirm the presence of low- and high-Ti mafic and intermediate lavas (basaltic—andesitic compositions) with > 4 wt% MgO, as well as evolved rocks (andesitic—rhyolitic compositions), characterized by MgO contents of N, Nb/Y and Ti/Y), indicating a different petrogenesis. MELTS modelling shows that the evolved lavas are formed by fractional crystallization from the mafic low-Ti lavas at low-to-moderate pressures ( 4 kbar). Primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns of the Rooiberg rocks show an enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE), rare-earth elements (REE) and pronounced negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, P, Ti and a positive Pb anomaly. Unaltered Rooiberg lavas have negative ɛNdi (- 5.2 to - 9.4) and radiogenic ɛSri (6.6 to 105) ratios (at 2061 Ma). These data overlap with isotope and trace element compositions of purported parental melts to the Bushveld Complex, especially for the lower zone. We suggest that the Rooiberg suite originated from a source similar to the composition of the B1-magma suggested as parental to the Bushveld Lower Zone, or that the lavas represent eruptive successions of fractional crystallization products related to the ultramafic cumulates that were forming at depth. The Rooiberg magmas may have formed by 10-20% crustal assimilation by the fractionation of a very primitive mantle-derived melt within the upper crust of the Kaapvaal Craton. Alternatively, the magmas represent mixtures of melts from a primitive, sub-lithospheric mantle plume and an enriched sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM

  19. Shock Compression and Melting of an Fe-Ni-Si Alloy: Implications for the Temperature Profile of the Earth's Core and the Heat Flux Across the Core-Mantle Boundary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Youjun; Sekine, Toshimori; Lin, Jung-Fu; He, Hongliang; Liu, Fusheng; Zhang, Mingjian; Sato, Tomoko; Zhu, Wenjun; Yu, Yin

    2018-02-01

    Understanding the melting behavior and the thermal equation of state of Fe-Ni alloyed with candidate light elements at conditions of the Earth's core is critical for our knowledge of the region's thermal structure and chemical composition and the heat flow across the liquid outer core into the lowermost mantle. Here we studied the shock equation of state and melting curve of an Fe-8 wt% Ni-10 wt% Si alloy up to 250 GPa by hypervelocity impacts with direct velocity and reliable temperature measurements. Our results show that the addition of 10 wt% Si to Fe-8 wt% Ni alloy slightly depresses the melting temperature of iron by 200-300 (±200) K at the core-mantle boundary ( 136 GPa) and by 600-800 (±500) K at the inner core-outer core boundary ( 330 GPa), respectively. Our results indicate that Si has a relatively mild effect on the melting temperature of iron compared with S and O. Our thermodynamic modeling shows that Fe-5 wt% Ni alloyed with 6 wt% Si and 2 wt% S (which has a density-velocity profile that matches the outer core's seismic profile well) exhibits an adiabatic profile with temperatures of 3900 K and 5300 K at the top and bottom of the outer core, respectively. If Si is a major light element in the core, a geotherm modeled for the outer core indicates a thermal gradient of 5.8-6.8 (±1.6) K/km in the D″ region and a high heat flow of 13-19 TW across the core-mantle boundary.

  20. Modelling the interplate domain in thermo-mechanical simulations of subduction: Critical effects of resolution and rheology, and consequences on wet mantle melting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcay, Diane

    2017-08-01

    The present study aims at better deciphering the different mechanisms involved in the functioning of the subduction interplate. A 2D thermo-mechanical model is used to simulate a subduction channel, made of oceanic crust, free to evolve. Convergence at constant rate is imposed under a 100 km thick upper plate. Pseudo-brittle and non-Newtonian behaviours are modelled. The influence of the subduction channel strength, parameterized by the difference in activation energy between crust and mantle (ΔEa) is investigated to examine in detail the variations in depth of the subduction plane down-dip extent, zcoup . First, simulations show that numerical resolution may be responsible for an artificial and significant shallowing of zcoup if the weak crustal layer is not correctly resolved. Second, if the age of the subducting plate is 100 Myr, subduction occurs for any ΔEa . The stiffer the crust is, that is, the lower ΔEa is, the shallower zcoup is (60 km depth if ΔEa = 20 kJ/mol) and the hotter the fore-arc base is. Conversely, imposing a very weak subduction channel (ΔEa > 135 J/mol) leads there to an extreme mantle wedge cooling and inhibits mantle melting in wet conditions. Partial kinematic coupling at the fore-arc base occurs if ΔEa = 145 kJ/mol. If the incoming plate is 20 Myr old, subduction can occur under the conditions that the crust is either stiff and denser than the mantle, or weak and buoyant. In the latter condition, cold crust plumes rise from the subduction channel and ascend through the upper lithosphere, triggering (1) partial kinematic coupling under the fore-arc, (2) fore-arc lithosphere cooling, and (3) partial or complete hindrance of wet mantle melting. zcoup then ranges from 50 to more than 250 km depth and is time-dependent if crust plumes form. Finally, subduction plane dynamics is intimately linked to the regime of subduction-induced corner flow. Two different intervals of ΔEa are underlined: 80-120 kJ/mol to reproduce the range of slab

  1. Metamorphism and partial melting of ordinary chondrites: Calculated phase equilibria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, T. E.; Benedix, G. K.; Bland, P. A.

    2016-01-01

    Constraining the metamorphic pressures (P) and temperatures (T) recorded by meteorites is key to understanding the size and thermal history of their asteroid parent bodies. New thermodynamic models calibrated to very low P for minerals and melt in terrestrial mantle peridotite permit quantitative investigation of high-T metamorphism in ordinary chondrites using phase equilibria modelling. Isochemical P-T phase diagrams based on the average composition of H, L and LL chondrite falls and contoured for the composition and abundance of olivine, ortho- and clinopyroxene, plagioclase and chromite provide a good match with values measured in so-called equilibrated (petrologic type 4-6) samples. Some compositional variables, in particular Al in orthopyroxene and Na in clinopyroxene, exhibit a strong pressure dependence when considered over a range of several kilobars, providing a means of recognising meteorites derived from the cores of asteroids with radii of several hundred kilometres, if such bodies existed at that time. At the low pressures (recorders of peak conditions. The intersection of isopleths of these variables may allow pressures to be quantified, even at low P, permitting constraints on the minimum size of parent asteroid bodies. The phase diagrams predict the onset of partial melting at 1050-1100 °C by incongruent reactions consuming plagioclase, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene, whose compositions change abruptly as melting proceeds. These predictions match natural observations well and support the view that type 7 chondrites represent a suprasolidus continuation of the established petrologic types at the extremes of thermal metamorphism. The results suggest phase equilibria modelling has potential as a powerful quantitative tool in investigating, for example, progressive oxidation during metamorphism, the degree of melting and melt loss or accumulation required to produce the spectrum of differentiated meteorites, and whether the onion shell or rubble pile

  2. Birch's Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, D. L.

    2002-12-01

    Francis Birch's 1952 paper started the sciences of mineral physics and physics of the Earth's interior. Birch stressed the importance of pressure, compressive strain and volume in mantle physics. Although this may seem to be an obvious lesson many modern paradoxes in the internal constitution of the Earth and mantle dynamics can be traced to a lack of appreciation for the role of compression. The effect of pressure on thermal properties such as expansivity can gravitational stratify the Earth irreversibly during accretion and can keep it chemically stratified. The widespread use of the Boussinesq approximation in mantle geodynamics is the antithesis of Birchian physics. Birch pointed out that eclogite was likely to be an important component of the upper mantle. Plate tectonic recycling and the bouyancy of oceanic crust at midmantle depths gives credence to this suggestion. Although peridotite dominates the upper mantle, variations in eclogite-content may be responsible for melting- or fertility-spots. Birch called attention to the Repetti Discontinuity near 900 km depth as an important geodynamic boundary. This may be the chemical interface between the upper and lower mantles. Recent work in geodynamics and seismology has confirmed the importance of this region of the mantle as a possible barrier. Birch regarded the transition region (TR ; 400 to 1000 km ) as the key to many problems in Earth sciences. The TR contains two major discontinuities ( near 410 and 650 km ) and their depths are a good mantle thermometer which is now being exploited to suggest that much of plate tectonics is confined to the upper mantle ( in Birch's terminology, the mantle above 1000 km depth ). The lower mantle is homogeneous and different from the upper mantle. Density and seismic velocity are very insensitive to temperature there, consistent with tomography. A final key to the operation of the mantle is Birch's suggestion that radioactivities were stripped out of the deeper parts of

  3. A 2D double-porosity model for melting and melt migration beneath mid-oceanic ridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, B.; Liang, Y.; Parmentier, E.

    2017-12-01

    Several lines of evidence suggest that the melting and melt extraction region of the MORB mantle is heterogeneous consisting of an interconnected network of high permeability dunite channels in a low porosity harzburgite or lherzolite matrix. In principle, one can include channel formation into the tectonic-scale geodynamic models by solving conservation equations for a chemically reactive and viscously deformable porous medium. Such an approach eventually runs into computational limitations such as resolving fractal-like channels that have a spectrum of width. To better understand first order features of melting and melt-rock interaction beneath MOR, we have formulated a 2D double porosity model in which we treat the triangular melting region as two overlapping continua occupied by the low-porosity matrix and interconnected high-porosity channels. We use melt productivity derived from a thermodynamic model and melt suction rate to close our problem. We use a high-order accurate numerical method to solve the conservation equations in 2D for porosity, solid and melt velocities and concentrations of chemical tracers in the melting region. We carry out numerical simulations to systematically study effects of matrix-to-channel melt suction and spatially distributed channels on the distributions of porosity and trace element and isotopic ratios in the melting region. For near fractional melting with 10 vol% channel in the melting region, the flow field of the matrix melt follows closely to that of the solid because the small porosity (exchange between the melt and the solid. The smearing effect can be approximated by dispersion coefficient. For slowly diffusing trace elements (e.g., LREE and HFSE), the melt migration induced dispersion can be as effective as thermal diffusion. Therefore, sub-kilometer scale heterogeneities of Nd and Hf isotopes are significantly damped or homogenized in the melting region.

  4. Partial melting of lower oceanic crust gabbro: Constraints from poikilitic clinopyroxene primocrysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leuthold, Julien; Lissenberg, C. Johan; O'Driscoll, Brian; Karakas, Ozge; Falloon, Trevor; Klimentyeva, Dina N.; Ulmer, Peter

    2018-03-01

    Successive magma batches underplate, ascend, stall and erupt along spreading ridges, building the oceanic crust. It is therefore important to understand the processes and conditions under which magma differentiates at mid ocean ridges. Although fractional crystallization is considered to be the dominant mechanism for magma differentiation, open-system igneous complexes also experience Melting-Assimilation-Storage-Hybridization (MASH, Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988) processes. Here, we examine crystal-scale records of partial melting in lower crustal gabbroic cumulates from the slow-spreading Atlantic oceanic ridge (Kane Megamullion; collected with Jason ROV) and the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise (Hess Deep; IODP expedition 345). Clinopyroxene oikocrysts in these gabbros preserve marked intra-crystal geochemical variations that point to crystallization-dissolution episodes of the gabbro eutectic assemblage. Kane Megamullion and Hess Deep clinopyroxene core1 primocrysts and their plagioclase inclusions indicate crystallization from high temperature basalt (>1160 and >1200°C, respectively), close to clinopyroxene saturation temperature (fundamental mechanisms for generating the wide compositional variation observed in mid-ocean ridge basalts. We furthermore propose that such processes operate at both slow- and fast-spreading ocean ridges. Thermal numerical modelling shows that the degree of lower crustal partial melting at slow-spreading ridges can locally increase up to 50%, but the overall crustal melt volume is low (less than ca. 5% of total mantle-derived and crustal melts; ca. 20% in fast-spreading ridges).

  5. Mantle amphibole control on arc and within-plate chemical signatures: Quaternary lavas from Kurdistan Province, Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kheirkhah, M.; Allen, M. B.; Neill, I.; Emami, M. H.; McLeod, C.

    2012-04-01

    New analyses of Quaternary lavas from Kurdistan Province in west Iran shed light on the nature of collision zone magmatism. The rocks are from the Turkish-Iranian plateau within the Arabia-Eurasia collision. Compositions are typically basanite, hawaiite and alkali basalt. Sr-Nd isotope values are close to BSE, which is similar to Quaternary alkali basalts of NW Iran, but distinct from a depleted source melting under Mount Ararat. The chemical signatures suggests variable melting of two distinct sources. One inferred source produced melts with La/Nb from~3.5 to~1.2, which we model as the result of depletion of amphibole during ≤1% melting in the garnet stability field. We infer phlogopite in the source of potassic lavas from Takab. Lithosphere delamination or slab break-off mechanisms for triggering melting are problematic, as the lithosphere is~150-200km thick. It is possible that the negative dT/dP section of the amphibole peridotite solidus was crossed as a result of lithospheric thickening in the collision zone. This explanation is conditional upon the mantle source being weakly hydrated and so only containing a small proportion of amphibole, which can be exhausted during small degrees of partial melting. Our model maybe viable for other magmatic areas within orogenic plateaux, e.g. northern Tibet. Depletion of mantle amphibole may also help explain larger scale transitions from arc to within-plate chemistry in orogens, such as the Palaeogene Arabia-Eurasia system.

  6. Formation and modification of chromitites in the mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arai, Shoji; Miura, Makoto

    2016-11-01

    Podiform chromitites have long supplied us with unrivaled information on various mantle processes, including the peridotite-magma reaction, deep-seated magmatic evolution, and mantle dynamics. The recent discovery of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) chromitites not only sheds light on a different aspect of podiform chromitites, but also changes our understanding of the whole picture of podiform chromitite genesis. In addition, new evidence was recently presented for hydrothermal modification/formation chromite/chromitite in the mantle, which is a classical but innovative issue. In this context, we present here an urgently needed comprehensive review of podiform chromitites in the upper mantle. Wall-rock control on podiform chromitite genesis demonstrates that the peridotite-magma reaction at the upper mantle condition is an indispensable process. We may need a large system in the mantle, far larger than the size of outcrops or mining areas, to fulfill the Cr budget requirement for podiform chromitite genesis. The peridotite-magma reaction over a large area may form a melt enriched with Na and other incompatible elements, which mixes with a less evolved magma supplied from the depth to create chromite-oversaturated magma. The incompatible-element-rich magma trapped by the chromite mainly precipitates pargasite and aspidolite (Na analogue of phlogopite), which are stable under upper mantle conditions. Moderately depleted harzburgites, which contain chromite with a moderate Cr# (0.4-0.6) and a small amount of clinopyroxene, are the best reactants for the chromitite-forming reaction, and are the best hosts for podiform chromitites. Arc-type chromitites are dominant in ophiolites, but some are of the mid-ocean ridge type; chromitites may be common beneath the ocean floor, although it has not yet been explored for chromitite. The low-pressure (upper mantle) igneous chromitites were conveyed through mantle convection or subduction down to the mantle transition zone to form

  7. Asteroids and Archaean crustal evolution: Tests of possible genetic links between major mantle/crust melting events and clustered extraterrestrial bombardments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glikson, A. Y.

    1992-01-01

    Since the oldest intact terrestrial rocks of ca. 4.0 Ga and oldest zircon xenocrysts of ca. 4.3 Ga measured to date overlap with the lunar late heavy bombardment, the early Precambrian record requires close reexamination vis a vis the effects of megaimpacts. The identification of microtektite-bearing horizons containing spinals of chondritic chemistry and Ir anomalies in 3.5-3.4-Ga greenstone belts provides the first direct evidence for large-scale Archaean impacts. The Archaean crustal record contains evidence for several major greenstone-granite-forming episodes where deep upwelling and adiabatic fusion of the mantle was accompanied by contemporaneous crustal anatexis. Isotopic age studies suggest evidence for principal age clusters about 3.5, 3.0, and 2.7 (+/- 0.8) Ga, relics of a ca. 3.8-Ga event, and several less well defined episodes. These peak events were accompanied and followed by protracted thermal fluctuations in intracrustal high-grade metamorphic zones. Interpretations of these events in terms of internal dynamics of the Earth are difficult to reconcile with the thermal behavior of silicate rheologies in a continuously convecting mantle regime. A triggering of these episodes by mantle rebound response to intermittent extraterrestrial asteroid impacts is supported by (1) identification of major Archaean impacts from microtektite and distal ejecta horizons marked by Ir anomalies; (2) geochemical and experimental evidence for mantle upwelling, possibly from levels as deep as the transition zone; and (3) catastrophic adiabatic melting required to generate peridotitic komatites. Episodic differentiation/accretion growth of sial consequent on these events is capable of resolving the volume problem that arises from comparisons between modern continental crust and the estimated sial produced by continuous two-stage mantle melting processes. The volume problem is exacerbated by projected high accretion rates under Archaean geotherms. It is suggested that

  8. Numerical modelling of lithospheric flexure in front of subduction zones in Japan and its role to initiate melt extraction from the LVZ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bessat, A.; Pilet, S.; Duretz, T.; Schmalholz, S. M.

    2017-12-01

    Petit-spot volcanoes were found fifteen years ago by Japanese researchers at the top of the subducting plate in Japan (Hirano 2006). This discovery is of great significance as it highlights the importance of tectonic processes for the initiation of intraplate volcanism. The location of these small lava flows is unusual and seems to be related to the plate flexure, which may facilitate the extraction of low degree melts from the base of the lithosphere, a hypothesis previously suggested to explain changes in electric and seismic properties at 70-90 km depth, i.e. within the low velocity zone (LVS) (Sifré 2014). A critical question is related to the process associated with the extraction of this low degree melts from the LVZ. First models suggested that extension associated to plate bending allows large cracks to propagate across the lithosphere and could promote the extraction of low degree melts at the base of the lithosphere (Hirano 2006 & Yamamoto 2014). However, the study of petit-spot mantle xenoliths from Japan (Pilet 2016) has demonstrated that low degree melts are not directly extracted to the surface but percolate, interact and metasomatize the oceanic lithosphere. In order to understand the melt extraction process in the region of plate bending, we performed 2D thermo-mechanical simulations of Japanese-type subduction. The numerical model considers viscoelastoplastic deformation. This allows the quantification of state of the stress, strain rates, and viscosities which will control the percolation of melt initially stocked at the base of the lithosphere. Initial results show that plate flexure changes the distribution of the deformation mechanism in the flexure zone, between 40 km to 80 km depth. A change of the dominant deformation mechanism from diffusion creep to dislocation creep and from there to Peierls creep was observed about 200 to 300 km from the trench. These changes are linked to the augmentation of the stresses in the flexure zone. At the

  9. Distribution of lithium in the Cordilleran Mantle wedge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shervais, J. W.; Jean, M. M.; Seitz, H. M.

    2015-12-01

    Enriched fluid-mobile element (i.e., B, Li, Be) concentrations in peridotites from the Coast Range ophiolite are compelling evidence that this ophiolite originated in a subduction environment. A new method presented in Shervais and Jean (2012) for modeling the fluid enrichment process, represents the total addition of material to the mantle wedge source region and can be applied to any refractory mantle peridotite that has been modified by melt extraction and/or metasomatism. Although the end-result is attributed to an added flux of aqueous fluid or fluid-rich melt phase derived from the subducting slab, in the range of tens of parts per million - the nature and composition of this fluid could not be constrained. To address fluid(s) origins, we have analyzed Li isotopes in bulk rock peridotite and eclogite, and garnet separates, to identify possible sources, and fluid flow mechanisms and pathways. Bulk rock Li abundances of CRO peridotites (δ7Li = -14.3 to 5.5‰; 1.9-7.5 ppm) are indicative of Li addition and δ7Li-values are lighter than normal upper mantle values. However, Li abundances of clino- and orthopyroxene appear to record different processes operating during the CRO-mantle evolution. Low Li abundances in orthopyroxene (2 ppm) record subsequent interaction with Li-enriched fluids (or melts). The preferential partitioning of lithium in clinopyroxene could be indicative of a particular metasomatic agent, e.g., fluids from a dehydrating slab. Future in-situ peridotite isotope studies via laser ablation will further elucidate the fractionation of lithium between orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and serpentine. To obtain a more complete picture of the slab to arc transfer processes, we also measured eclogites and garnet separates to δ7Li= -18 to 3.5‰ (11.5-32.5 ppm) and δ7Li= 1.9 to 11.7‰ (0.7-3.9 ppm), respectively. In connection with previous studies focused on high-grade metamorphic assemblages within the Franciscan complex, an overall framework exists

  10. Assessment of local and regional isotopic equilibrium in the mantle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hofmann, A W; Hart, S R [Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C. (USA). Dept. of Terrestrial Magnetism

    1978-02-01

    The assumption of local equilibrium during partial melting is fundamental to the interpretation of isotope and trace element data for mantle-derived rocks. If disequilibrium melting is significant, the scale of the chemical and isotopic heterogeneity in the mantle indicated by the data could be as small as the grain size of the mantle rock, and the isotope data themselves are then of doubtful value to the understanding of mantle processes. To assess the scale of isotopic heterogeneity in a partially molten asthenosphere the authors review the Sr isotopic data of volcanic rocks from oceanic regions and the available experimental data on diffusion kinetics in minerals and melts similar to those existing in the mantle. Although diffusion data are scarce and afflicted with uncertainties, most of the diffusion coefficients for cations in mantle minerals at temperatures of 1000 to 1200/sup 0/C appear to be greater than 10/sup -13/ cm/sup 2/ s/sup -1/. Struntium diffusion in liquid basalt is more rapid, with diffusion coefficients of D = 10/sup -7/ to 10/sup -6/ cm/sup 2/ s/sup -1/ near 1300/sup 0/C. Simple model calculations show that, with these D values, a fluid-free mantle can maintain a state of disequilibrium on a centimeter scale for periods of 10/sup 8/ to 10/sup 9/ years. The state of disequilibrium found in many mantle-derived xenoliths is thus easily explained. A partially molten mantle, on the other hand, will tend to equilibrate locally in less than 10/sup 5/ to 10/sup 6/ years. The analytical data on natural rocks likewise indicate that the inhomogeneities are both old (> 1.5 b.y.) and regional in character and that the consistent isotopic differences between ocean island and ocean floor volcanics cannot be explained by small-scall hetorogeneity of the source rock.

  11. Origin and Distribution of Water Contents in Continental and Oceanic Lithospheric Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peslier, Anne H.

    2013-01-01

    The water content distribution of the upper mantle will be reviewed as based on the peridotite record. The amount of water in cratonic xenoliths appears controlled by metasomatism while that of the oceanic mantle retains in part the signature of melting events. In both cases, the water distribution is heterogeneous both with depth and laterally, depending on localized water re-enrichments next to melt/fluid channels. The consequence of the water distribution on the rheology of the upper mantle and the location of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary will also be discussed.

  12. Plumes do not Exist: Plate Circulation is Confined to Upper Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, W. B.

    2002-12-01

    Plumes from deep mantle are widely conjectured to define an absolute reference frame, inaugurate rifting, drive plates, and profoundly modify oceans and continents. Mantle properties and composition are assumed to be whatever enables plumes. Nevertheless, purported critical evidence for plume speculation is false, and all data are better interpreted without plumes. Plume fantasies are made ever more complex and ad hoc to evade contradictory data, and have no predictive value because plumes do not exist. All plume conjecture derives from Hawaii and the guess that the Emperor-Hawaii inflection records a 60-degree change in Pacific plate direction at 45 Ma. Paleomagnetic latitudes and smooth Pacific spreading patterns disprove any such change. Rationales for other fixed plumes collapse when tested, and hypotheses of jumping, splitting, and gyrating plumes are specious. Thermal and physical properties of Hawaiian lithosphere falsify plume predictions. Purported tomographic support elsewhere represents artifacts and misleading presentations. Asthenosphere is everywhere near solidus temperature, so melt needs a tensional setting for egress but not local heat. Gradational and inconsistent contrasts between MORB and OIB are as required by depth-varying melt generation and behavior in contrasted settings and do not indicate systematically unlike sources. MORB melts rise, with minimal reaction, through hot asthenosphere, whereas OIB melts react with cool lithosphere, and lose mass, by crystallizing refractories and retaining and assimilating fusibles. The unfractionated lower mantle of plume conjecture is contrary to cosmologic and thermodynamic data, for mantle below 660 km is more refractory than that above. Subduction, due to density inversion by top-down cooling that forms oceanic lithosphere, drives plate tectonics and upper-mantle circulation. It organizes plate motions and lithosphere stress, which controls plate boundaries and volcanic chains. Hinge rollback is the

  13. Water Distribution in the Continental and Oceanic Upper Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peslier, Anne H.

    2015-01-01

    Nominally anhydrous minerals such as olivine, pyroxene and garnet can accommodate tens to hundreds of ppm H2O in the form of hydrogen bonded to structural oxygen in lattice defects. Although in seemingly small amounts, this water can significantly alter chemical and physical properties of the minerals and rocks. Water in particular can modify their rheological properties and its distribution in the mantle derives from melting and metasomatic processes and lithology repartition (pyroxenite vs peridotite). These effects will be examined here using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) water analyses on minerals from mantle xenoliths from cratons, plume-influenced cratons and oceanic settings. In particular, our results on xenoliths from three different cratons will be compared. Each craton has a different water distribution and only the mantle root of Kaapvaal has evidence for dry olivine at its base. This challenges the link between olivine water content and survival of Archean cratonic mantle, and questions whether xenoliths are representative of the whole cratonic mantle. We will also present our latest data on Hawaii and Tanzanian craton xenoliths which both suggest the intriguing result that mantle lithosphere is not enriched in water when it interacts with melts from deep mantle upwellings (plumes).

  14. Lithosphere destabilization by melt percolation during pre-oceanic rifting: Evidence from Alpine-Apennine ophiolitic peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piccardo, Giovanni; Ranalli, Giorgio

    2017-04-01

    Orogenic peridotites from Alpine-Apennine ophiolite Massifs (Lanzo, Voltri, External and Internal Ligurides, - NW Italy, and Mt. Maggiore - Corsica) derive from the mantle lithosphere of the Ligurian Tethys. Field/structural and petrologic/geochemical studies provide constraints on the evolution of the lithospheric mantle during pre-oceanic passive rifting of the late Jurassic Ligurian Tethys ocean. Continental rifting by far-field tectonic forces induced extension of the lithosphere by means of km-scale extensional shear zones that developed before infiltration of melts from the asthenosphere (Piccardo and Vissers, 2007). After significant thinning of the lithosphere, the passively upwelling asthenosphere underwent spinel-facies decompression melting along the axial zone of the extensional system. Silica-undersaturated melt fractions percolated through the lithospheric mantle via diffuse/focused porous flow and interacted with the host peridotite through pyroxenes-dissolving/olivine-precipitating melt/rock reactions. Pyroxene dissolution and olivine precipitation modified the composition of the primary silica-undersaturated melts into derivative silica-saturated melts, while the host lithospheric spinel lherzolites were transformed into pyroxene-depleted/olivine-enriched reactive spinel harzburgites and dunites. The derivative liquids interacted through olivine-dissolving/orthopyroxene+plagioclase-crystallizing reactions with the host peridotites that were impregnated and refertilized (Piccardo et al., 2015). The saturated melts stagnated and crystallized in the shallow mantle lithosphere (as testified by diffuse interstitial crystallization of euhedral orthopyroxene and anhedral plagioclase) and locally ponded, forming orthopyroxene-rich/olivine-free gabbro-norite pods (Piccardo and Guarnieri, 2011). Reactive and impregnated peridotites are characterized by high equilibration temperatures (up to 1250 °C) even at low pressure, plagioclase-peridotite facies

  15. Identification and observations of the plasma mantle at low altitude

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newell, P.T.; Meng, Ching-I.; Sanchez, E.R.; Burke, W.J.; Greenspan, M.E.

    1991-01-01

    The direct injection of magnetosheath plasma into the cusp produces at low altitude a precipitation regime with an energy-latitude dispersion-the more poleward portion of which the authors herein term the cusp plume. An extensive survey of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F7 and F9 32 eV to 30 keV precipitating particle data shows that similar dispersive signatures exist over much of the dayside, just poleward of the auroral oval. Away from noon (or more precisely, anywhere not immediately poleward of the cusp) the fluxes are reduced by a factor of about 10 as compared to the cusp plume, but other characteristics are quite similar. For example, the inferred temperatures and flow velocities, and the characteristic decline of energy and number flux with increasing latitude is essentially the same in a longitudinally broad ring of precipitation a few degrees thick in latitude over much of the dayside. They conclude that the field lines on which such precipitation occurs thread the magnetospheric plasma mantle over the entire longitudinally extended ring. Besides the location of occurence (i.e., immediately poleward of the dayside oval), the identification is based especially on the associated very soft ion spectra, which have densities from a few times 10 -2 to a few times 10 -1 /cm 3 ; on the temperature range, which is form from a few tens of eV up to about 200 eV; amd on the characteristic gradients with latitude. Further corroborating evidence that the precipitation is associated with field lines which thread the plasma mantle includes drift meter observations which show that regions so identified based on the particle data consistently lie on antisunward convecting field lines. The observations indicate that some dayside high-latitude auroral features just poleward of the auroral oval are embedded in the plasma mantle

  16. Heterogeneous hydrogen distribution in orthopyroxene from veined mantle peridotite (San Carlos, Arizona): Impact of melt-rock interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denis, Carole M. M.; Demouchy, Sylvie; Alard, Olivier

    2018-03-01

    Experimental studies have shown that hydrogen embedded as a trace element in mantle mineral structures affects the physical properties of mantle minerals and rocks. Nevertheless, hydrogen concentrations in mantle minerals are much lower than predicted by hydrogen solubilities obtained experimentally at high pressure and temperature. Here, we report textural analyses and major and trace element concentrations (including hydrogen) in upper mantle minerals from a spinel-bearing composite xenolith (dunite and pyroxenite) transported by silica-undersaturated mafic alkaline lavas from the San Carlos volcanic field (Arizona, USA). Our results suggest that the composite xenolith results from the percolation-reaction of a basaltic liquid within dunite channels, and is equilibrated with respect to trace elements. Equilibrium temperatures range between 1011 and 1023 °C. Hydrogen concentrations (expressed in ppm H2O by weight) obtained from unpolarized and polarized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are low, with average values water stored in the Earth's upper mantle.

  17. The Oxidation State of Fe in MORB Glasses and the Oxygen Fugacity of the Upper Mantle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    E Cottrell; K Kelley

    2011-12-31

    Micro-analytical determination of Fe{sup 3+}/{Sigma}Fe ratios in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) glasses using micro X-ray absorption near edge structure ({mu}-XANES) spectroscopy reveals a substantially more oxidized upper mantle than determined by previous studies. Here, we show that global MORBs yield average Fe{sup 3+}/{Sigma}Fe ratios of 0.16 {+-} 0.01 (n = 103), which trace back to primary MORB melts equilibrated at the conditions of the quartz-fayalite-magnetite (QFM) buffer. Our results necessitate an upward revision of the Fe{sup 3+}/{Sigma}Fe ratios of MORBs, mantle oxygen fugacity, and the ferric iron content of the mantle relative to previous wet chemical determinations. We show that only 0.01 (absolute, or < 10%) of the difference between Fe{sup 3+}/{Sigma}Fe ratios determined by micro-colorimety and XANES can be attributed to the Moessbauer-based XANES calibration. The difference must instead derive from a bias between micro-colorimetry performed on experimental vs. natural basalts. Co-variations of Fe{sup 3+}/{Sigma}Fe ratios in global MORB with indices of low-pressure fractional crystallization are consistent with Fe{sup 3+} behaving incompatibly in shallow MORB magma chambers. MORB Fe{sup 3+}/{Sigma}Fe ratios do not, however, vary with indices of the extent of mantle melting (e.g., Na{sub 2}O(8)) or water concentration. We offer two hypotheses to explain these observations: The bulk partition coefficient of Fe{sup 3+} may be higher during peridotite melting than previously thought, and may vary with temperature, or redox exchange between sulfide and sulfate species could buffer mantle melting at {approx} QFM. Both explanations, in combination with the measured MORB Fe{sup 3+}/{Sigma}Fe ratios, point to a fertile MORB source with greater than 0.3 wt.% Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}.

  18. Cumulates, Dykes and Pressure Solution in the Ice-Salt Mantle of Europa: Geological Consequences of Pressure Dependent Liquid Compositions and Volume Changes During Ice-Salt Melting Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Day, S.; Asphaug, E.; Bruesch, L.

    2002-12-01

    Water-salt analogue experiments used to investigate cumulate processes in silicate magmas, along with observations of sea ice and ice shelf behaviour, indicate that crystal-melt separation in water-salt systems is a rapid and efficient process even on scales of millimetres and minutes. Squeezing-out of residual melts by matrix compaction is also predicted to be rapid on geological timescales. We predict that the ice-salt mantle of Europa is likely to be strongly stratified, with a layered structure predictable from density and phase relationships between ice polymorphs, aqueous saline solutions and crystalline salts such as hydrated magnesium sulphates (determined experimentally by, inter alia, Hogenboom et al). A surface layer of water ice flotation cumulate will be separated from denser salt cumulates by a cotectic horizon. This cotectic horizon will be both the site of subsequent lowest-temperature melting and a level of neutral buoyancy for the saline melts produced. Initial melting will be in a narrow depth range owing to increasing melting temperature with decreasing pressure: the phase relations argue against direct melt-though to the surface unless vesiculation occurs. Overpressuring of dense melts due to volume expansion on cotectic melting is predicted to lead to lateral dyke emplacement and extension above the dyke tips. Once the liquid leaves the cotectic, melting of water ice will involve negative volume change. Impact-generated melts will drain downwards through the fractured zones beneath crater floors. A feature in the complex crater Mannan'an, with elliptical ring fractures around a conical depression with a central pit, bears a close resemblance to Icelandic glacier collapse cauldrons produced by subglacial eruptions. Other structures resembling Icelandic cauldrons occur along Europan banded structures, while resurgence of ice rubble within collapse structures may produce certain types of chaos region. More general contraction of the ice mantle

  19. Planetesimal core formation with partial silicate melting using in-situ high P, high T, deformation x-ray microtomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anzures, B. A.; Watson, H. C.; Yu, T.; Wang, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Differentiation is a defining moment in formation of terrestrial planets and asteroids. Smaller planetesimals likely didn't reach high enough temperatures for widescale melting. However, we infer that core formation must have occurred within a few million years from Hf-W dating. In lieu of a global magma ocean, planetesimals likely formed through inefficient percolation. Here, we used in-situ high temperature, high pressure, x-ray microtomography to track the 3-D evolution of the sample at mantle conditions as it underwent shear deformation. Lattice-Boltzmann simulations for permeability were used to characterize the efficiency of melt percolation. Mixtures of KLB1 peridotite plus 6.0 to 12.0 vol% FeS were pre-sintered to achieve an initial equilibrium microstructure, and then imaged through several consecutive cycles of heating and deformation. The maximum calculated melt segregation velocity was found to be 0.37 cm/yr for 6 vol.% FeS and 0.61 cm/year for 12 vol.% FeS, both below the minimum velocity of 3.3 cm/year required for a 100km planetesimal to fully differentiate within 3 million years. However, permeability is also a function of grain size and thus the samples having smaller grains than predicted for small planetesimals could have contributed to low permeability and also low migration velocity. The two-phase (sulfide melt and silicate melt) flow at higher melt fractions (6 vol.% and 12 vol.% FeS) was an extension of a similar study1 containing only sulfide melt at lower melt fraction (4.5 vol.% FeS). Contrary to the previous study, deformation did result in increased permeability until the sample was sheared by twisting the opposing Drickamer anvils by 360 degrees. Also, the presence of silicate melt caused the FeS melt to coalesce into less connected pathways as the experiment with 6 vol.% FeS was found to be less permeable than the one with 4.5 vol.% FeS but without any partial melt. The preliminary data from this study suggests that impacts as well as

  20. Geochemistry of cenozoic basaltic rocks from Shandong province and its implication for mantle process in North China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee Yungtan; Chen Juchin; Huang Shaowei; Shih Jyhyi; Lin Menglung; Juang Wenshing; Yang Huaijen

    2006-01-01

    Cenozoic (Miocene to Pleistocene) basaltic rocks found in Shandong province of northern China include tholeiite, olivine tholeiite and alkali basalt. We present major, trace and rare earth elements data of these basalts and together with Sr-Nd isotopic data in the literatures to discuss the petrogenesis of these basalts. The basalts from Penglai area have higher K, Na and P and incompatible elements, but lower Ca, Mg and compatible elements contents than those from Changle area of Shandong province. Spidergrams indicate that Cenozoic basalts from Shandong province have geochemical characteristics similar to those of ocean island basalts (OIB) with slight positive Nb anomaly. The negative Ba, Rb and K anomalies found in the alkali basalts suggest the presence of residual phlogopite in the mantle source, indicating a metasomatic event occurred before the partial melting. The 143 Nd/ 144 Nd vs. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr plot suggested that basalts from Shandong province can be produced by MORB and EM-I components mixing. We propose that the EM-I type lithospheric mantle may have been produced by the recent H 2 O-CO 2 -fluids metasomatism and the fluids may be derived from dehydration of the subducted slab. Based on Shaw's equation, the basalts from eastern and central Shandong province have undergone different degrees of particle melting from the mantle source. Degrees of partial melting and chemical composition of basalts from Shandong province suggest that the lithosphere has thickened progressively since the Miocene. On the basis of Ar-Ar ages of this study and the fractional crystallization model proposed by Brooks and Nielsen (1982), we suggest that basalts from Changle and Penglai areas belong to different magmatic systems which have undergone fractional crystallization and evolved progressively to produce other types of basalts. (author)

  1. The birth, growth and ageing of the Kaapvaal subcratonic mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brey, Gerhard P.; Shu, Qiao

    2018-06-01

    The Kaapvaal craton and its underlying mantle is probably one of the best studied Archean entity in the world. Despite that, discussion is still vivid on important aspects. A major debate over the last few decades is the depth of melting that generated the mantle nuclei of cratons. Our new evaluation of melting parameters in peridotite residues shows that the Cr2O3/Al2O3 ratio is the most useful pressure sensitive melting barometer. It irrevocably constrains the pressure of melting (melt separation) to less than 2 GPa with olivine (ol), orthopyroxene (opx) and spinel (sp) as residual phases. Garnet (grt) grows at increasing pressure during lithosphere thickening and subduction via the reaction opx + sp → grt + ol. The time of partial melting is constrained by Re-depletion model ages (TRD) mainly to the Archean (Pearson and Wittig 2008). However, only 3% of the ages are older than 3.1 Ga while crustal ages lie mainly between 3.1 to 2.8 Ga for the W- and 3.7 to 2.8 Ga for the E-block. Many TRD-ages are probably falsified by metasomatism and the main partial melting period was older than 3.1 Ga. Also, Nd- and Hf- model ages of peridotitic lithologies from the W-block are 3.2 to 3.6 Ga old. The corresponding very negative ɛNd (-40) and ɛHf values (-65) signal the presence of subducted crustal components in these old mantle portions. Subducted components diversify the mantle in its chemistry and thermal structure. Adjustment towards a stable configuration occurs by fluid transfer, metasomatism, partial melting and heat transfer. Ages of metasomatism from the Lu-Hf isotope system are 3.2 Ga (Lace), 2.9 Ga (Roberts Victor) and 2.62 Ga (Finsch) coinciding with the collision of cratonic blocks, the growth of diamonds, metamorphism of eclogites and of Ventersdoorp magmatism. The cratonic lithosphere was stabilized thermally by the end of the Archean and cooled since then with a rate of 0.07 °C/Ma.

  2. Partial delamination of continental mantle lithosphere, uplift-related crust mantle decoupling, volcanism and basin formation: a new model for the Pliocene Quaternary evolution of the southern East-Carpathians, Romania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalot-Prat, F.; Girbacea, R.

    2000-11-01

    A geodynamic model is proposed for the Mid-Miocene to Quaternary evolution of the southern East-Carpathians in order to explain the relationships between shallow and deep geological phenomena that occurred synchronously during late-collision tectonics. In this area, an active volcanic zone cross-cuts since 2 My the suture between the overriding Tisza-Dacia and subducting European continental plates. Mafic calc-alkaline and alkaline magmas (south Harghita and Persani volcanoes) erupted contemporaneously. These magmas were supplied by partial melting of the mantle lithosphere of the subducting, and not of the overriding, plate. In an effort to decipher this geodynamically a-typical setting of magma generation, the spatial and temporal distribution of shallow and deep phenomena was successively examined in order to establish the degree of their interdependence. Our model indicates that intra-mantle delamination of the subducting European plate is the principal cause of a succession of events. It caused upwelling of the hot asthenosphere below a thinned continental lithosphere of the Carpathians, inducing the uplift of the lithosphere and its internal decoupling at the Moho level by isostatic and mostly thermal effects. During this uplift, the crust deformed flexurally whilst the mantle deformed in a ductile way. This triggered decompressional partial melting of the uppermost mantle lithosphere. Flexural deformation of the crust induced its fracturing, allowing for the rapid ascent of magmas to the surface, as well as reactivation of an older detachment horizon at the base of the Carpathian nappe stack above which the Brasov, Ciuc and Gheorghieni hinterland basins formed by extension and gravity spreading. The rapid subsidence of the Focsani foreland basin is controlled by the load exerted on the lithosphere by the delaminated mantle slab that is still attached to it. In this model, crust-mantle decoupling, magma genesis and volcanism, local near-surface hinterland

  3. Constraining Mantle Differentiation Processes with La-Ce and Sm-Nd Isotope Systematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willig, M.; Stracke, A.

    2016-12-01

    Cerium (Ce) and Neodymium (Nd) isotopic ratios in oceanic basalts reflect the time integrated La-Ce and Sm-Nd ratios, and hence the extent of light rare earth element element (LREE) depletion or enrichment of their mantle sources. New high precision Ce-Nd isotope data from several ocean islands define a tight array in ԑCe-ԑNd space with ԑNd = -8.2±0.4 ԑCe + 1.3±0.9 (S.D.), in good agreement with previous data [1, 2]. The slope of the ԑCe-ԑNd array and the overall isotopic range are sensitive indicators of the processes that govern the evolution of the mantle's LREE composition. A Monte Carlo approach is employed to simulate continuous mantle-crust differentiation by partial melting and recycling of crustal materials. Partial melting of mantle peridotites produces variably depleted mantle and oceanic crust, which evolve for different time periods, before the oceanic crust is recycled back into the mantle including small amounts of continental crust (GLOSS [3]). Subsequently, depleted mantle and recycled materials of variable age and composition melt, and the respective melts mix in different proportions. Mixing lines strongly curve towards depleted mantle, and tend to be offset from the data for increasingly older and more depleted mantle. Observed ԑCe-ԑNd in ridge [1] and ocean island basalts and the slope of the ԑCe-ԑNd array therefore define upper limits for the extent and age of LREE depletion preserved in mantle peridotites. Very old average mantle depletion ages (> ca. 1-2 Ga) for the bulk of the mantle are difficult to reconcile with the existing ԑCe-ԑNd data, consistent with the range of Nd-Hf-Os model ages in abyssal peridotites [4-6]. Moreover, unless small amounts of continental crust are included in the recycled material, it is difficult to reproduce the relatively shallow slope of the ԑCe-ԑNd array, consistent with constraints from the ԑNd - ԑHf mantle array [7]. [1] Makishima and Masuda, 1994 Chem. Geol. 118, 1-8. [2] Doucelance et al

  4. Trace Elements in Basalts From the Siqueiros Fracture Zone: Implications for Melt Migration Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pickle, R. C.; Forsyth, D. W.; Saal, A. E.; Nagle, A. N.; Perfit, M. R.

    2008-12-01

    Incompatible trace element (ITE) ratios in MORB from a variety of locations may provide insights into the melt migration process by constraining aggregated melt compositions predicted by mantle melting and flow models. By using actual plate geometries to create a 3-D thermodynamic mantle model, melt volumes and compositions at all depths and locations may be calculated and binned into cubes using the pHMELTS algorithm [Asimow et al., 2004]. These melts can be traced from each cube to the surface assuming several migration models, including a simplified pressure gradient model and one in which melt is guided upwards by a low permeability compacted layer. The ITE ratios of all melts arriving at the surface are summed, averaged, and compared to those of the actual sample compositions from the various MOR locales. The Siqueiros fracture zone at 8° 20' N on the East Pacific Rise (EPR) comprises 4 intra-transform spreading centers (ITSCs) across 140 km of offset between two longer spreading ridges, and is an excellent study region for several reasons. First, an abundance of MORB data is readily available, and the samples retrieved from ITSCs are unlikely to be aggregated in a long-lived magma chamber or affected by along-axis transport, so they represent melts extracted locally from the mantle. Additionally, samples at Siqueiros span a compositional range from depleted to normal MORB within the fracture zone yet have similar isotopic compositions to samples collected from the 9-10° EPR. This minimizes the effect of assuming a uniform source composition in our melting model despite a heterogeneous mantle, allowing us to consistently compare the actual lava composition with that predicted by our model. Finally, it has been demonstrated with preliminary migration models that incipient melts generated directly below an ITSC may not necessarily erupt at that ITSC but migrate laterally towards a nearby ridge due to enhanced pressure gradients. The close proximity of the

  5. Alkaline and carbonatite metasomatism of lithospheric mantle beneath SW Poland- Pilchowice case

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ćwiek, Mateusz; Matusiak-Małek, Magdalena; Puziewicz, Jacek; Ntaflos, Theodoros

    2014-05-01

    The Cenozoic basanites from Pilchowice (SW Poland) form volcanic plug located exactly at Intra- Sudetic Fault. These basanites belong to the Polish part of the Central European Volcanic Province and contain numerous, usually small (pfu and mg# from 0.915- 0.920 . One xenolith contains clinopyroxene with abundant spongy rims. Primary clinopyroxene is very rare and Al-enriched (mg# 0.92, 0.17 atoms of Al pfu). The spinel is Cr enriched (cr# 0.46-0.68) and is usually associated with clinopyroxene. Orthopyroxene is depleted in REE compared to primitive mantle. Orthopyroxene from majority of xenoliths are strongly LREE depleted ((La/Lu)N = 0.03-0.21). All studied peridotites contain clinopyroxene which is enriched (2 to 70 times) in REE compared to primitive mantle. Clinopyroxene patterns show relative low HREE concentration ((La/Lu)N = 4.75- 19.99), moreover patterns from three samples are convex- upward shaped with inflection point on Nd ((La/Nd)N = 0.36-0.96). Clinopyroxene- poor lithology, high cr# in spinel and LREE- depleted nature of orthopyroxene suggest that upper mantle sampled by Pilchowice basanite is a restite after partial melting. The LREE enriched composition of clinopyroxene suggest that peridotites were metasomatised. Clinopyroxene convex- upward shaped REE plots with inflection point on Nd is typical for metasomatism related with alkaline melt. On the other hand very low ratios of Ti/ Eu (24.8- 738.9) and high (La/ Yb)N (3.5- 17) ratio (Coltorti, 1999) suggest that the metasomatic agent was either a mixture of alkaline silicate melt with carbonatite or peridotite reaction with two independent agents is recorded. This study is a part of MSc thesis of the first author and was possible thanks to the project NCN 2011/03/B/ST10/06248 of Polish National Centre for Science. Coltorti, M., Bonadiman, C., Hinton, R. W., Siena, F. & Upton, B. G. J. (1999). Carbonatite metasomatism of the oceanic upper mantle: Evidence from clinopyroxenes and glasses in

  6. High Resolution Global Electrical Conductivity Variations in the Earth's Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelbert, A.; Sun, J.; Egbert, G. D.

    2013-12-01

    Electrical conductivity of the Earth's mantle is a valuable constraint on the water content and melting processes. In Kelbert et al. (2009), we obtained the first global inverse model of electrical conductivity in the mantle capable of providing constraints on the lateral variations in mantle water content. However, in doing so we had to compromise on the problem complexity by using the historically very primitive ionospheric and magnetospheric source assumptions. In particular, possible model contamination by the auroral current systems had greatly restricted our use of available data. We have now addressed this problem by inverting for the external sources along with the electrical conductivity variations. In this study, we still focus primarily on long period data that are dominated by quasi-zonal source fields. The improved understanding of the ionospheric sources allows us to invert the magnetic fields directly, without a correction for the source and/or the use of transfer functions. It allows us to extend the period range of available data to 1.2 days - 102 days, achieving better sensitivity to the upper mantle and transition zone structures. Finally, once the source effects in the data are accounted for, a much larger subset of observatories may be used in the electrical conductivity inversion. Here, we use full magnetic fields at 207 geomagnetic observatories, which include mid-latitude, equatorial and high latitude data. Observatory hourly means from the years 1958-2010 are employed. The improved quality and spatial distribution of the data set, as well as the high resolution modeling and inversion using degree and order 40 spherical harmonics mapped to a 2x2 degree lateral grid, all contribute to the much improved resolution of our models, representing a conceptual step forward in global electromagnetic sounding. We present a fully three-dimensional, global electrical conductivity model of the Earth's mantle as inferred from ground geomagnetic

  7. Iron-carbonate interaction at Earth's core-mantle boundary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorfman, S. M.; Badro, J.; Nabiei, F.; Prakapenka, V.; Gillet, P.

    2015-12-01

    Carbon storage and flux in the deep Earth are moderated by oxygen fugacity and interactions with iron-bearing phases. The amount of carbon stored in Earth's mantle versus the core depends on carbon-iron chemistry at the core-mantle boundary. Oxidized carbonates subducted from Earth's surface to the lowermost mantle may encounter reduced Fe0 metal from disproportionation of Fe2+ in lower mantle silicates or mixing with the core. To understand the fate of carbonates in the lowermost mantle, we have performed experiments on sandwiches of single-crystal (Ca0.6Mg0.4)CO3 dolomite and Fe foil in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell at lower mantle conditions of 49-110 GPa and 1800-2500 K. Syntheses were conducted with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction to identify phase assemblages. After quench to ambient conditions, samples were sectioned with a focused Ga+ ion beam for composition analysis with transmission electron microscopy. At the centers of the heated spots, iron melted and reacted completely with the carbonate to form magnesiowüstite, iron carbide, diamond, magnesium-rich carbonate and calcium carbonate. In samples heated at 49 and 64 GPa, the two carbonates exhibit a eutectoid texture. In the sample heated at 110 GPa, the carbonates form rounded ~150-nm-diameter grains with a higher modal proportion of interspersed diamonds. The presence of reduced iron in the deep lower mantle and core-mantle boundary region will promote the formation of diamonds in carbonate-bearing subducted slabs. The complete reaction of metallic iron to oxides and carbides in the presence of mantle carbonate supports the formation of these phases at the Earth's core-mantle boundary and in ultra-low velocity zones.

  8. Ancient mantle in a modern arc: osmium isotopes in izu-bonin-mariana forearc peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkinson; Hawkesworth; Cohen

    1998-09-25

    Mantle peridotites drilled from the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc have unradiogenic 187Os/188Os ratios (0.1193 to 0.1273), which give Proterozoic model ages of 820 to 1230 million years ago. If these peridotites are residues from magmatism during the initiation of subduction 40 to 48 million years ago, then the mantle that melted was much more depleted in incompatible elements than the source of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). This result indicates that osmium isotopes record information about ancient melting events in the convecting upper mantle not recorded by incompatible lithophile isotope tracers. Subduction zones may be a graveyard for ancient depleted mantle material, and portions of the convecting upper mantle may be less radiogenic in osmium isotopes than previously recognized.

  9. Upper mantle low velocity heterogeneities beneath NE China revealed by source- and receiver-side converted waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Z.; Niu, F.

    2017-12-01

    Common-conversion-point (CCP) stacking of receiver function is a powerful tool in mapping upper mantle heterogeneities. However, reverberations from shallow boundaries with large velocity contrast could contaminate the imaging profiles severely. Applying the refined Slowness Weighted CCP (SWCCP) stacking technique (Guan and Niu, 2017) on NECESSArray data, we eliminated the multiple effects and systematically imaged the upper mantle low velocity heterogeneities in NE China where there exist rich unconsolidated sediments. The SWCCP profiles reveal a 350 km low velocity heterogeneity which is possibly associated with the Changbai Mountain volcanism and interpreted as a negatively buoyant silicate melt lying atop of the 410 km discontinuity. Besides, the imaging results are also suggestive of a sporadic 580-620 km low velocity heterogeneity locating in the easternmost part of NE China with a velocity contrast comparable with the 660-km discontinuity. In addition, between 42º N and 45º N, we also found a double 660-km discontinuity at the two sides of the localized depression in the longitudinal range of 128º E to 131º E. On the other hand, we gathered USArray and Alaska regional array seismic data of deep earthquakes occurring beneath NE China and the surrounding areas and employed stacking technique to study the source side S-to-P conversions. The source-side stacking also showed a strong S-to-P conversion at 600 km deep, consistent with the SWCCP stacks. Meanwhile, we also confirmed the double 660-km discontinuity feature from the source-side conversions. The receiver- and source-side observations provide strong constraints on these low velocity anomalies that may offer insights on the subduction dynamics of the Pacific plate.

  10. A reconnaissance view of tungsten reservoirs in some crustal and mantle rocks: Implications for interpreting W isotopic compositions and crust-mantle W cycling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jingao; Pearson, D. Graham; Chacko, Thomas; Luo, Yan

    2018-02-01

    High-precision measurements of W isotopic ratios have enabled increased exploration of early Earth processes. However, when applying W isotopic data to understand the geological processes, it is critical to recognize the potential mobility of W and hence evaluate whether measured W contents and isotopic compositions reflect the primary petrogenetic processes or instead are influenced by the effects of secondary inputs/mobility. Furthermore, if we are to better understand how W is partitioned between different minerals during melting and metasomatic processes it is important to document the likely sinks for W during these processes. In addition, an understanding of the main hosts for W in the crust and mantle is critically important to constrain how W is cycled and stored in the crust-mantle geochemical cycle. As a first step to investigate these issues, we have carried out in situ concentration measurements of W and other HFSEs in mineral phases within a broad spectrum of crustal and mantle rocks, along with whole-rock concentration measurements. Mass balance shows that for tonalitic gneiss and amphibolite, the major rock-forming minerals can adequately account for the bulk W budget, and for the pristine ultramafic rocks, olivine and orthopyroxene are the major controlling phases for W whereas for metasomatized ultramafic rocks, significant W is hosted in Ti-bearing trace phases (e.g., rutile, lindsleyite) along grain boundaries or is inferred to reside in cryptic W-bearing trace phases. Formation or decomposition of these phases during secondary processes could cause fractionation of W from other HFSEs, and also dramatically modify bulk W concentrations in rocks. For rocks that experienced subsequent W enrichment/alteration, their W isotopic compositions may not necessarily represent their mantle sources, but could reflect later inputs. The relatively small suite of rocks analyzed here serves as a reconnaissance study but allows some preliminary speculations on

  11. Oscillatory convection in low aspect ratio Czochralski melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anselmo, A.; Prasad, V.; Koziol, J.; Gupta, K. P.

    1993-11-01

    Modeling of the crucible in bulk crystal growth simulations as a right circular cylinder may be adequate for high aspect ratio melts but this may be unrealistic when the melt height is low. Low melt height is a unique feature of a solid feed continuous Czochralski growth process for silicon single crystals currently under investigation. At low melt heights, the crucible bottom curvature has a dampening effect on the buoyancy-induced oscillations, a source of inhomogeneities in the grown crystal. The numerical results demonstrate how the mode of convection changes from vertical wall-dominated recirculating flows to Benard convection as the aspect ratio is lowered. This phenomenon is strongly dependent on the boundary condition at the free surface of the melt, which has been generally considered to be either adiabatic or radiatively cooled. A comparison of the flow oscillations in crucibles with and without curved bottoms at aspect ratios in the range of 0.25 to 0.50, and at realistic Grashof numbers (10 7 < Gr < 10 8) illustrate that changing the shape of the crucible may be an effective means of suppressing oscillations and controlling the melt flow.

  12. The role of plumes in mantle helium fluxes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kellogg, L.H.; Wasserburg, G.J.

    1990-01-01

    We present a simple model of 3 He and 4 He transport in the mantle using the appropriate rates of mass and species transfer and 4 He production. Previous workers have shown the presence of excess 3 He in hotspots such as Hawaii and Iceland and inferred that these hotspots tap a source with a higher 3 He/ 4 He ratio than the source region of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). Hotspot ocean islands probably originate over upwelling plumes which carry material from the lower mantle to the upper mantle. Melting at hotspots and at mid-ocean ridges degasses the mantle of volatiles such as helium. The upper mantle is outgassed largely of helium due to melting at mid-ocean ridges and hotspots. We postulate that the excess 3 He seen in MORB originates in material that was carried from the lower mantle in plumes but not completely outgassed at hotspots. This helium is incoporated into the depleted upper mantle. Assuming that the upper mantle is in a quasi-steady-state with respect to helium, a simple model balancing 3 He and 4 He fluxes in the upper mantle indicates that the hotspots significantly outgas the lower mantle of 3 He. The concentration of 4 He in the plume source reservoir is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the concentration in carbonaceous chondrites. The residence time of helium in the upper mantle depends on the outgassing efficiency at hotspots, since the hotspots may outgas some upper mantle material which has been entrained in the plumes. The residence time of He in the upper mantle is about 1.4x10 9 yr. We conclude that the efficiency of outgassing of He from plumes is high and that the plumes dominate the present 3 He loss to the atmosphere. The 4 He in the less depleted layer of the mantle is not trapped ''primordial'' but is predominantly from in situ decay of U and Th in the depleted layer over ≅ 1.4x10 9 yr. The 4 He in the lower mantle is dominantly from in situ decay of U and Th over 4.4x10 9 yr. (orig./WL)

  13. Re-Os isotope and platinum group elements of a FOcal ZOne mantle source, Louisville Seamounts Chain, Pacific ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tejada, Maria Luisa G.; Hanyu, Takeshi; Ishikawa, Akira; Senda, Ryoko; Suzuki, Katsuhiko; Fitton, Godfrey; Williams, Rebecca

    2015-02-01

    The Louisville Seamount Chain (LSC) is, besides the Hawaiian-Emperor Chain, one of the longest-lived hotspot traces. We report here the first Re-Os isotope and platinum group element (PGE) data for Canopus, Rigil, and Burton Guyots along the chain, which were drilled during IODP Expedition 330. The LSC basalts possess (187Os/188Os)i = 0.1245-0.1314 that are remarkably homogeneous and do not vary with age. A Re-Os isochron age of 64.9 ± 3.2 Ma was obtained for Burton seamount (the youngest of the three seamounts drilled), consistent with 40Ar-39Ar data. Isochron-derived initial 187Os/188Os ratio of 0.1272 ± 0.0008, together with data for olivines (0.1271-0.1275), are within the estimated primitive mantle values. This (187Os/188Os)i range is similar to those of Rarotonga (0.124-0.139) and Samoan shield (0.1276-0.1313) basalts and lower than those of Cook-Austral (0.136-0.155) and Hawaiian shield (0.1283-0.1578) basalts, suggesting little or no recycled component in the LSC mantle source. The PGE data of LSC basalts are distinct from those of oceanic lower crust. Variation in PGE patterns can be largely explained by different low degrees of melting under sulfide-saturated conditions of the same relatively fertile mantle source, consistent with their primitive mantle-like Os and primordial Ne isotope signatures. The PGE patterns and the low 187Os/188Os composition of LSC basalts contrast with those of Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) tholeiites. We conclude that the Re-Os isotope and PGE composition of LSC basalts reflect a relatively pure deep-sourced common mantle sampled by some ocean island basalts but is not discernible in the composition of OJP tholeiites.

  14. Petrological systematics of mid-ocean ridge basalts: Constraints on melt generation beneath ocean ridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langmuir, Charles H.; Klein, Emily M.; Plank, Terry

    Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) are a consequence of pressure-release melting beneath ocean ridges, and contain much information concerning melt formation, melt migration and heterogeneity within the upper mantle. MORB major element chemical systematics can be divided into global and local aspects, once they have been corrected for low pressure fractionation and interlaboratory biases. Regional average compositions for ridges unaffected by hot spots ("normal" ridges) can be used to define the global correlations among normalized Na2O, FeO, TiO2 and SiO2 contents, CaO/Al2O3 ratios, axial depth and crustal thickness. Back-arc basins show similar correlations, but are offset to lower FeO and TiO2 contents. Some hot spots, such as the Azores and Galapagos, disrupt the systematics of nearby ridges and have the opposite relationships between FeO, Na2O and depth over distances of 1000 km. Local variations in basalt chemistry from slow- and fast-spreading ridges are distinct from one another. On slow-spreading ridges, correlations among the elements cross the global vector of variability at a high angle. On the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise (EPR), correlations among the elements are distinct from both global and slow-spreading compositional vectors, and involve two components of variation. Spreading rate does not control the global correlations, but influences the standard deviations of axial depth, crustal thickness, and MgO contents of basalts. Global correlations are not found in very incompatible trace elements, even for samples far from hot spots. Moderately compatible trace elements for normal ridges, however, correlate with the major elements. Trace element systematics are significantly different for the EPR and the mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Normal portions of the MAR are very depleted in REE, with little variability; hot spots cause large long wavelength variations in REE abundances. Normal EPR basalts are significantly more enriched than MAR basalts from normal

  15. Comparisons of seismic and electromagnetic structures of the MELT area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, R. L.; Hirth, G.; Forsyth, D.; Baba, K.; Chave, A.

    2003-04-01

    Both seismic and electromagnetic (EM) models from the MELT experiment show similar broad scale features in the mantle beneath the Southern EPR. In all EM models, the conductivity in the upper 50-60˜km is considerably higher to the west of the ridge than to the east. Similarly, seismic models of short period Love waves are asymmetric in velocity structure, with slower velocities to the west of the ridge within the upper 60˜km. Body wave data suggest a similar asymmetry, although the depth extent is not as well defined. West of the ridge, both the higher conductivities and lower velocities have been attributed to the presence of a small melt fraction, although the anomalous regions estimated from different techniques do not entirely agree. To the east, there is a rapid increase in resistivity and S-wave velocity, indicating that within 25˜km of the axis the mantle above 70˜km is both dry and melt-free. Further away from the ridge, the boundary between a conductive asthenospheric mantle and a resistive overlying mantle flattens, at a depth around 60-80˜km. Rayleigh wave inversions also show fairly flat velocity contours with a broad minimum centered at 60-80˜km. Both of these features are consistent with a transition from dry to damp mantle. Also away from the ridge, EM data, shear-wave splitting, and Rayleigh waves all require an azimuthally anisotropic mantle consistent with the a-axis of olivine being preferentially oriented horizontally and perpendicular to the ridge. Anisotropy in EM data suggests damp mantle conditions in the 100-200˜km depth range, with enhanced conduction along the a-axis of olivine. Rayleigh waves are most sensitive to shallower structure and require anisotropy in the upper 70˜km. In the uppermost 40˜km, the most conductive and lowest velocity regions are close to the axis but offset 5-10˜km to the west. Some anisotropic inversions recover a vertically conductive feature that could be interpreted as a few percent melt distributed in

  16. Nitrogen evolution within the Earth's atmosphere-mantle system assessed by recycling in subduction zones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallik, Ananya; Li, Yuan; Wiedenbeck, Michael

    2018-01-01

    Understanding the evolution of nitrogen (N) across Earth's history requires a comprehensive understanding of N's behaviour in the Earth's mantle - a massive reservoir of this volatile element. Investigation of terrestrial N systematics also requires assessment of its evolution in the Earth's atmosphere, especially to constrain the N content of the Archaean atmosphere, which potentially impacted water retention on the post-accretion Earth, potentially causing enough warming of surface temperatures for liquid water to exist. We estimated the proportion of recycled N in the Earth's mantle today, the isotopic composition of the primitive mantle, and the N content of the Archaean atmosphere based on the recycling rates of N in modern-day subduction zones. We have constrained recycling rates in modern-day subduction zones by focusing on the mechanism and efficiency of N transfer from the subducting slab to the sub-arc mantle by both aqueous fluids and slab partial melts. We also address the transfer of N by aqueous fluids as per the model of Li and Keppler (2014). For slab partial melts, we constrained the transfer of N in two ways - firstly, by an experimental study of the solubility limit of N in melt (which provides an upper estimate of N uptake by slab partial melts) and, secondly, by the partitioning of N between the slab and its partial melt. Globally, 45-74% of N introduced into the mantle by subduction enters the deep mantle past the arc magmatism filter, after taking into account the loss of N from the mantle by degassing at mid-ocean ridges, ocean islands and back-arcs. Although the majority of the N in the present-day mantle remains of primordial origin, our results point to a significant, albeit minor proportion of mantle N that is of recycled origin (17 ± 8% or 12 ± 5% of N in the present-day mantle has undergone recycling assuming that modern-style subduction was initiated 4 or 3 billion years ago, respectively). This proportion of recycled N is enough to

  17. Incipient boninitic arc crust built on denudated mantle: the Khantaishir ophiolite (western Mongolia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gianola, Omar; Schmidt, Max W.; Jagoutz, Oliver; Sambuu, Oyungerel

    2017-12-01

    The 570 Ma old Khantaishir ophiolite is built by up to 4 km harzburgitic mantle with abundant pyroxenites and dunites followed by 2 km of hornblende-gabbros and gabbronorites and by a 2.5 km thick volcanic unit composed of a dyke + sill complex capped by pillow lavas and some volcanoclastics. The volcanics are mainly basaltic andesites and andesites (or boninites) with an average of 58.2 ± 1.0 wt% SiO2, X Mg = 0.61 ± 0.03 ( X Mg = molar MgO/(MgO + FeOtot), TiO2 = 0.4 ± 0.1 wt% and CaO = 7.5 ± 0.6 wt% (errors as 2 σ). Normalized trace element patterns show positive anomalies for Pb and Sr, a negative Nb-anomaly, large ion lithophile elements (LILE) concentrations between N- and E-MORB and distinctly depleted HREE. These characteristics indicate that the Khantaishir volcanics were derived from a refractory mantle source modified by a moderate slab-component, similar to boninites erupted along the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction system and to the Troodos and Betts Cove ophiolites. Most strikingly and despite almost complete outcrops over 260 km2, there is no remnant of any pre-existing MORB crust, suggesting that the magmatic suite of this ophiolite formed on completely denudated mantle, most likely upon subduction initiation. The architecture of this 4-5 km thick early arc crust resembles oceanic crust formed at mid ocean ridges, but lacks a sheeted dyke complex; volcanic edifices are not observed. Nevertheless, low melting pressures combined with moderate H2O-contents resulted in high-Si primitive melts, in abundant hornblende-gabbros and in a fast enrichment in bulk SiO2. Fractional crystallization modeling starting from the observed primitive melts (56.6 wt% SiO2) suggests that 25 wt% pyroxene + plagioclase fractionation is sufficient to form the average Khantaishir volcanic crust. Most of the fractionation happened in the mantle, the observed pyroxenite lenses and layers in and at the top of the harzburgites account for the required cumulate volumes. Finally

  18. Seismic Structure of the Shallow Mantle Beneath the Endeavor Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    VanderBeek, B. P.; Toomey, D. R.; Hooft, E. E.; Wilcock, W. S.; Weekly, R. T.; Soule, D. C.

    2013-12-01

    We present tomographic images of the seismic structure of the shallow mantle beneath the intermediate-spreading Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge. Our results provide insight into the relationship between magma supply from the mantle and overlying ridge crest processes. We use seismic energy refracted below the Moho (Pn), as recorded by the Endeavor tomography (ETOMO) experiment, to image the anisotropic and isotropic P wave velocity structure. The ETOMO experiment was an active source seismic study conducted in August 2009 as part of the RIDGE2000 science program. The experimental area extends 100 km along- and 60 km across-axis and encompasses active hydrothermal vent fields near the segment center, the eastern end of the Heck seamount chain, and two overlapping spreading centers (OSCs) at either end of the segment. Previous tomographic analyses of seismic arrivals refracted through the crust (Pg), and reflected off the Moho (PmP), constrain a three-dimensional starting model of crustal velocity and thickness. These Pg and PmP arrivals are incorporated in our inversion of Pn travel-time data to further constrain the isotropic and anisotropic mantle velocity structure. Preliminary results reveal three distinct mantle low-velocity zones, inferred as regions of mantle melt delivery to the base of the crust, that are located: (i) off-axis near the segment center, (ii) beneath the Endeavor-West Valley OSC, and (iii) beneath the Cobb OSC near Split Seamount. The mantle anomalies are located at intervals of ~30 to 40 km along-axis and the low velocity anomalies beneath the OSCs are comparable in magnitude to the one located near the segment center. The direction of shallow mantle flow is inferred from azimuthal variations in Pn travel-time residuals relative to a homogeneous isotropic mantle. Continuing analysis will focus on constraining spatial variations in the orientation of azimuthal anisotropy. On the basis of our results, we will discuss the transport of

  19. Slab melting beneath the Cascades Arc driven by dehydration of altered oceanic peridotite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walowski, Kristina J; Wallace, Paul J.; Hauri, E.H.; Wada, I.; Clynne, Michael A.

    2015-01-01

    Water is returned to Earth’s interior at subduction zones. However, the processes and pathways by which water leaves the subducting plate and causes melting beneath volcanic arcs are complex; the source of the water—subducting sediment, altered oceanic crust, or hydrated mantle in the downgoing plate—is debated; and the role of slab temperature is unclear. Here we analyse the hydrogen-isotope and trace-element signature of melt inclusions in ash samples from the Cascade Arc, where young, hot lithosphere subducts. Comparing these data with published analyses, we find that fluids in the Cascade magmas are sourced from deeper parts of the subducting slab—hydrated mantle peridotite in the slab interior—compared with fluids in magmas from the Marianas Arc, where older, colder lithosphere subducts. We use geodynamic modelling to show that, in the hotter subduction zone, the upper crust of the subducting slab rapidly dehydrates at shallow depths. With continued subduction, fluids released from the deeper plate interior migrate into the dehydrated parts, causing those to melt. These melts in turn migrate into the overlying mantle wedge, where they trigger further melting. Our results provide a physical model to explain melting of the subducted plate and mass transfer from the slab to the mantle beneath arcs where relatively young oceanic lithosphere is subducted.

  20. Trace elements in olivine of ultramafic lamprophyres controlled by phlogopite-rich mineral assemblages in the mantle source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veter, Marina; Foley, Stephen F.; Mertz-Kraus, Regina; Groschopf, Nora

    2017-11-01

    Carbonate-rich ultramafic lamprophyres (aillikites) and associated rocks characteristically occur during the early stages of thinning and rifting of cratonic mantle lithosphere, prior to the eruption of melilitites, nephelinites and alkali basalts. It is accepted that they require volatile-rich melting conditions, and the presence of phlogopite and carbonate in the source, but the exact source rock assemblages are debated. Melts similar to carbonate-rich ultramafic lamprophyres (aillikites) have been produced by melting of peridotites in the presence of CO2 and H2O, whereas isotopes and trace elements appear to favor distinct phlogopite-bearing rocks. Olivine macrocrysts in aillikites are usually rounded and abraded, so that it is debated whether they are phenocrysts or mantle xenocrysts. We have analyzed minor and trace element composition in olivines from the type aillikites from Aillik Bay in Labrador, Canada. We characterize five groups of olivines: [1] mantle xenocrysts, [2] the main phenocryst population, and [3] reversely zoned crystals interpreted as phenocrysts from earlier, more fractionated, magma batches, [4] rims on the phenocrysts, which delineate aillikite melt fractionation trends, and [5] rims around the reversely zoned olivines. The main phenocryst population is characterized by mantle-like Ni (averaging 3400 μg g- 1) and Ni/Mg at Mg# of 88-90, overlapping with phenocrysts in ocean island basalts and Mediterranean lamproites. However, they also have low 100 Mn/Fe of 0.9-1.3 and no correlation between Ni and other trace elements (Sc, Co, Li) that would indicate recycled oceanic or continental crust in their sources. The low Mn/Fe without high Ni/Mg, and the high V/Sc (2-5) are inherited from phlogopite in the source that originated by solidification of lamproitic melts at the base of the cratonic lithosphere in a previous stage of igneous activity. The olivine phenocryst compositions are interpreted to result from phlogopite and not high modal

  1. Elasticity of superhydrous phase B at the mantle temperature and pressure: Implications for 800-km discontinuity and water flow into lower mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, D.; Wang, W.; Wu, Z.

    2017-12-01

    Plate subduction can transport the water to the Earth's interior by forming hydrous phases and water can exert important effects on global dynamics and many processes within the deep Earth. Superhydrous phase B (ShyB), as an important candidate for transporting water into the mantle transition zone and lower mantle, is stable up to 31 GPa and will decompose into bridgmanite, periclase and water at a depth of 800 km [Komabayashi and Omori, 2006]. The decomposition of ShyB may be related to the seismic discontinuity at the depth of 800 km in Western-Pacific Subduction Zones [Liu et al., 2016; Porritt and Yoshioka, 2016]. The detail discussions on this topic require the elasticity of ShyB at the P-T conditions of the transition zone and lower mantle. In this contribution, we obtained the thermal elasticity of ShyB using first-principles calculations. ShyB shows a very low velocity and density compared to the bridgmanite and periclase, the major minerals in the lower mantle. The accumulation of ShyB will generate the low-velocity anomaly in the uppermost lower mantle. The dehydration of ShyB will cause the Vp, Vs, and density increase by 7.5%, 15.0% and 12%, respectively. It means that a slab with 10% ShyB could cause an impedance contrast of 2.7% at a depth of 800 km for shear wave. Furthermore, the released waters by the dehydration of ShyB probably migrate upward and promote the partial melt to reduce the sound velocity at shallower depth, which can further explain the low-velocity zones just above 800-km discontinuity in Western-Pacific Subduction Zones [Liu et al., 2016]. Komabayashi, T., and S. Omori (2006), Internally consistent thermodynamic data set for dense hydrous magnesium silicates up to 35GPa, 1600°C: Implications for water circulation in the Earth's deep mantle, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 156(1-2), 89-107. Liu, Z., J. Park, and S. I. Karato (2016), Seismological detection of low-velocity anomalies surrounding the mantle transition

  2. Anisotropy of the upper mantle beneath the equatorial part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendall, J. M.; Rychert, C.; Harmon, N.; Tharimena, S.; Agius, M. R.

    2017-12-01

    It has been long-known that the mantle beneath ocean spreading centres is anisotropic, holding the signature of the formation of new oceanic lithosphere and its coupling with the underlying convecting asthenosphere. Numerical studies have suggested that there should be significant differences between the anisotropy at slow versus fast spreading centres, but there is little observational evidence to calibrate these simulations, especially at slow spreading centres. Near the ridge axis, the anisotropic effects of melt versus the lattice preferred orientation of minerals is not well understood. Finally, the mantle flow near ridge-transform interactions is also poorly understood. Here we present observations of SKS splitting in a region of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near the equator and offset by the Romanche and Chain Fracture Zones. An array of 37 ocean-bottom seismometers were deployed for a year in depths of up to nearly 6000m, with the aim of studying the nature of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary as it forms (the PiLAB - Passive Imaging of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary - experiment). Stations were deployed on crust that varies from newly formed to 80 My old. We analyse 40 teleseismic events of magnitude greater than 5.8 and with epicentral distances between 88 and 130 degrees. The ocean-bottom is a noisy environment and a range of filters are used to isolate the SKS, SKKS, and related signals. Furthermore, stacking splitting error envelopes is used to improve confidence in the splitting parameters. Many of the splitting measurements show an orientation parallel to the direction of plate spreading, as expected, but variability in the orientation of the anisotropy increases towards the ridge axis. The magnitude of the anisotropy is also quite variable and suggests larger delay times near the ridge axis. Off-axis anisotropy is interpreted in terms of deformation of peridotite due to mantle flow. Near the ridge axis, the effect of ridge-parallel melt

  3. Survival of the primitive mantle reservoir?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, S.; Jacobsen, S. B.; Mukhopadhyay, S.

    2010-12-01

    The high-3He lavas are thought to originate from a deep primitive mantle source that has not been much modified since the formation of Earth’s core. Comparison of 4He/3He in MORBs and plume lavas indicate that the plume sources must be a lower mantle feature, in agreement with most geophysical inferences. However, the lithophile element isotope systems of plume lavas are not primitive. The idea that the high-3He source is significantly less processed and more primitive than MORB source is clearly supported by mixing trends in plots of 4He/3He versus Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios, which have been extrapolated to an inferred 4He/3He of ~17,000 (~43x the atmospheric ratio), a mantle reservoir named PHEM (Primitive HElium Mantle). Slightly lower 4He/3He, ~15,000, were reported for Baffin Island picrites. Recently, Jackson et al. (2010) claimed that some Baffin Island and Greenland picrites with single-stage Pb model ages of ~4.5 Ga have low 4He/3He, and argued that “their source is the most ancient accessible reservoir in the Earth’s mantle, and it may be parental to all mantle reservoirs”. However, the available data are insufficient to make such a claim, and we suggest an alternative interpretation. Specially: 1. Four out of ten Baffin Island and Greenland picrites used by Jackson et al. (2010) have 4He/3He higher than average MORB value and all are far removed from the lowest measured value of 15,000. 2. Five Greenland picrites which cluster around the 4.50 Gyr geochron (Jackson et al., 2010) form a curved 207Pb*/206Pb*-4He/3He trend. This trend is best explained as a mixing line, implying that the single-stage Pb ages of these lavas are meaningless. 3. In a 207Pb*/206Pb*-4He/3He plot, Koolau lavas from Hawaii overlap with Baffin Island and Greenland picrites. If Baffin Island and Greenland picrites represent melts from the primitive mantle based on their Pb and He isotopes (Jackson et al., 2010), a similar argument can be applied to Koolau lavas. However, it

  4. Preliminary data on mantle xenoliths from the Feldstein basalt (Thuringia, Germany)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukuła, Anna; Puziewicz, Jacek; Ntaflos, Theodoros; Matusiak-Małek, Magdalena; Milke, Ralf

    2014-05-01

    Feldstein is an isolated outcrop of columnar basaltic rock nearby Themar, located 60 km south-west of Erfurt (Thuringia, Germany). The Feldstein alkali basalt (ca. 16.3 Ma) belongs to the Heldburger Gangschar subset of the Central European Volcanic Province (Abratis et al. 2007). The Feldstein alkali basalt contains peridotitic xenoliths, which were the subject of our study. Two groups of spinel peridotite xenoliths occur in the Feldstein basalt. Group A spinel peridotite (2 xenoliths) is characterized by protogranular texture with typical grain size of 2 - 3 mm (max 8 mm). It consists of olivine (90.28 - 91.36 % Fo, 0.35 - 0.45 wt. % NiO), orthopyroxene (mg# 0.91 - 0.92, Al 0.09 - 0.18 a pfu), clinopyroxene (mg# 0.93 - 0.95, Al 0.06 - 0.21 a pfu) and spinel (cr# 0.20 - 0.41, mg# 0.66 - 0.78). The mg# and Al content in clinopyroxene are negatively correlated following the depletion trend after variable degrees of partial melting of the same source. One of the studied samples contains clinopyroxene that does not plot on the general depletion trend but has significantly higher Al (0.15 - 0.21 a pfu) for similar mg # 0.93 - 0.94 with clinopyroxenes from this trend. However the primitive mantle normalized clinopyroxene REE patterns (concave upwards with LaN/YbN=0.11) indicate that they are the residues after elevated degrees of partial melting. The most magnesian clinopyroxene that is Ca-rich and Al-poor has REE abundances, typical for strongly depleted spinel peridotites. It has concave upwards primitive mantle normalized pattern and LaN/YbN=0.61. A slight increase of LaN and CeN with inflection point at PrN has been observed as well. The group B spinel peridotites have protogranular texture (3-4 mm, max 7 mm grains) and some of them contain several melt pockets of basaltic composition. It consists of olivine (88.95 - 91.32 % Fo, 0.34 - 0.47 wt.% NiO), orthopyroxene (mg# 0.90 - 0.93, Al 0.04 - 0.16 apfu) and clinopyroxene (mg# 0.90 - 0.93, Al 0.10 - 0.20 a pfu). The

  5. Petrology and geochemistry of the high-Cr podiform chromitites of the Köycegiz ophiolite, southwest Turkey: implications for the multi-stage evolution of the oceanic upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Fahui; Yang, Jingsui; Dilek, Yildirim; Wang, ChunLian; Hao, Xiaolin; Xu, Xiangzhen; Lian, Dongyang

    2018-03-01

    Ophiolites exposed across the western Tauride belt in Turkey represent tectonically emplaced fragments of oceanic lithosphere obducted onto the continental margin following the closure of the Neotethys Ocean during the Late Cretaceous. The ultramafic massif of Köycegiz, which is located in the ophiolitic belt of southwestern Turkey, is a major source of metallurgical chromitite ore. The massif comprises a base of tectonized harzburgite with minor dunite overlain by a magmatic sequence of wehrlite, pyroxenite, troctolite and gabbro. Only sparse refractory chromitites occur within the harzburgites; in contrast, the upper and middle sections of the peridotite sequence contain abundant metallurgical chromitites. The peridotites record abundant evidence of mantle metasomatism on various scales, as the Fo values of olivine in harzburgite are 90.1-95.4, whereas those in dunite are 90.1-91.8. The compositions of the melts passing through the peridotites changed gradually from arc tholeiite to boninite due to melt-rock reactions, thus producing more Cr-rich chromitites in the upper part of the body. Most of the chromitites have high Cr numbers (77-78), although systematic changes in the compositions of the olivine and chromian spinel occur from the harzburgites to the dunite envelopes to the chromitites, reflecting melt-rock reactions. The calculated ΔlogfO2 (FMQ) values range from - 2.77 to + 1.03 in the chromitites, - 2.73 to -0.01 in the harzburgites, and - 1.65 to + 0.45 in the dunites. All of the available evidence suggests that the Köycegiz ophiolite formed in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) mantle wedge. These models indicate that the harzburgites represent the products of first-stage melting and low degrees of melt-rock interaction that occurred in a mid-ocean ridge (MOR) environment. In contrast, the chromitites and dunites represent the products of second-stage melting and related refertilization, which occurred in an SSZ environment.

  6. Delamination of lithospheric mantle evidenced by Cenozoic potassic rocks in Yunnan, SW China: A contribution to uplift of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Bei; Long, Xiaoping; Wilde, Simon A.; Yuan, Chao; Wang, Qiang; Xia, Xiaoping; Zhang, Zhaofeng

    2017-07-01

    New zircon U-Pb ages, mineral chemical data, whole-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopes from the potassium-rich intrusions in the Yunnan area, SW China, were determined to provide constraints on the uplift of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. The intrusive rocks consist of shoshonitic syenites (high-Mg syenites, low-Mg syenites and syenite porphyries) and potassic granitoids (granite porphyries). Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating indicates coeval emplacement ages of 35 Ma. The shoshonitic syenites have alkaline affinities and the enrichment in LILEs and LREEs (e.g. La, Sr, U, Pb), with depletion of HFSEs (e.g. Nb, Ti, Ta) and weak Eu anomalies. They display uniform Sr-Nd-Lu-Hf isotopic compositions with similar initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7073-0.7079), enriched εNd(t) values (- 6.8 to - 4.3) and mostly negative zircon εHf(t) values ranging from - 4.6 to + 0.1. The high-Mg syenites have high MgO, Fe2O3T, TiO2, CaO, Cr, Ni concentrations and relatively high Mg# (60-68), indicating an origin from enriched lithospheric mantle. The low-Mg syenites and syenite porphyries are geochemically distinct with the high-Mg syenites, but the insignificant variations in major elements, linear trends of La against (La/Yb)N and similar Sr-Nd isotopic compositions to the high-Mg syenites suggest that they were produced by different degrees of partial melting of the same enriched mantle source. The potassic granitic intrusions are sub-alkaline with a strongly peraluminous character. They display an S-type granite affinity, with high Al2O3/TiO2 and low CaO/Na2O and K2O/Al2O3 ratios, suggesting a pelitic source. They are LREE-enriched and have relatively flat HREE patterns with weakly negative Eu anomalies and positive Rb, U, and Pb anomalies and negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies. They have relatively high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7143) and enriched Nd isotopic compositions [εNd(t) = - 4.1]. Their zircon εHf(t) values (- 4.0 to + 0.09) and old two-stage Hf model ages (TDMc = 1.16-1.36 Ga

  7. Geophysical evidence for melt in the deep lunar interior and implications for lunar evolution (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, A.; Connolly, J. A.; Pommier, A.

    2013-12-01

    Analysis of lunar seismic and lunar laser ranging data has yielded evidence that has been interpreted to indicate a molten zone in the lower-most mantle and/or the outer core of the Moon. Such a zone would provide strong constraints on models of the thermal evolution of the Moon. Here we invert lunar geophysical data in combination with phase-equilibrium modeling to derive information about the thermo-chemical and physical structure of the deep lunar interior. Specifically, we assess whether a molten layer is required by the geophysical data and, if so, its likely composition and physical properties (e.g., density and seismic wave speeds). The data considered are mean mass and moment of inertia, second-degree tidal Love number, and frequency-dependent electromagnetic sounding data. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that a region with high dissipation located deep within the Moon is indeed required to explain the geophysical data. If this dissipative region is located within the mantle, then the solidus is crossed at a depth of ~1200 km (>1600 deg C). The apparent absence of far-side deep moonquakes (DMQs) is supporting evidence for a highly dissipative layer. Inverted compositions for the partially molten layer (typically 100--200 km thick) are enriched in FeO and TiO2 relative to the surrounding mantle. While the melt phase in >95 % of inverted models is neutrally buoyant at pressures of ~4.5--4.6 GPa, the melt contains less TiO2 (>~4 wt %) than the Ti-rich (~16 wt % TiO2) melts that produced a set of high-density primitive lunar magmas (~3.4 g/ccm). Melt densities computed here range from 3.3 to 3.4 g/ccm bracketing the density of lunar magmas with moderate-to-high TiO2 contents. Our results are consistent with a model of lunar evolution in which the cumulate pile formed from crystallization of the magma ocean as it overturned, trapping heat-producing elements in the lower mantle.

  8. Oceanic provenance of lithospheric mantle beneath Lower Silesia (SW Poland) and the two kinds of its "Fe-metasomatism"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puziewicz, Jacek; Matusiak-Małek, Magdalena; Ntaflos, Theodoros; Kukuła, Anna; Ćwiek, Mateusz

    2016-04-01

    Our recent studies (Puziewicz et al. 2015, IJES 104:1913-1924, and references therein) show that the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath Lower Silesia (SW Poland) and neighbouring part of Upper Lusatia (SE Germany) is dominated by harzburgites. Part of them contain small amounts of clinopyroxene which, despite its primary textural appearance, is a late addition to the protoliths which are residues after extensive (up to 30 %) partial melting. This clinopyroxene was added to the harzburgites in Cenozoic times by alkaline basaltic melts migrating upwards from their asthenospheric sources during rifting in the Variscan foreland of the Alpine-Carpathian chain. The pre-rifting history of the SCLM beneath the region is thus recorded in the olivine and orthopyroxene. The forsterite content in olivine divides the Lower Silesian harzburgites into two groups: A (olivine Fo 90.5 - 92.0), and B (olivine Fo 84.0 - 90.0; for data see Puziewicz et al. 2015, op. cit.). The Al content in orthopyroxene is low and similar in both A and part of B harzburgites, called B1 in the following. The orthopyroxene occurring in the B1 harzburgites contains typically 0.05 - 0.10 atoms of Al per formula unit (corresponding to 0.5 - 2.5 wt. % Al2O3), although slightly lower (down to 0.02 a pfu) and slightly higher (up to 0.13 a pfu) Al contents occur in subordinate number of samples. The Al content in the B1 orthopyroxene is not correlated with forsterite content in coexisting olivine. The B2 harzburgites occur only in one site (Księginki). They contain orthopyroxene which Al content exhibits negative correlation with forsterite content in coexisting olivine. The most Al -rich orthopyroxene (0.24 atoms of Al pfu, corresponding to ca. 5.7 wt % Al2O3) coexists with olivine Fo 86.5 in Księginki. The low contents of Al in orthopyroxene is specific for the Lower Silesian/Upper Lusatian domain of European lithospheric mantle. The Al-poor mantle domain below Lower Silesia and upper

  9. Apatite-Melt Partitioning at 1 Bar: An Assessment of Apatite-Melt Exchange Equilibria Resulting from Non-Ideal Mixing of F and Cl in Apatite

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCubbin, F. M.; Ustunisik, G.; Vander Kaaden, K. E.

    2016-01-01

    The mineral apatite [Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH)] is present in a wide range of planetary materials. Due to the presence of volatiles within its crystal structure (X-site), many recent studies have attempted to use apatite to constrain the volatile contents of planetary magmas and mantle sources. In order to use the volatile contents of apatite to precisely determine the abundances of volatiles in coexisting silicate melt or fluids, thermodynamic models for the apatite solid solution and for the apatite components in multi-component silicate melts and fluids are required. Although some thermodynamic models for apatite have been developed, they are incomplete. Furthermore, no mixing model is available for all of the apatite components in silicate melts or fluids, especially for F and Cl components. Several experimental studies have investigated the apatite-melt and apatite-fluid partitioning behavior of F, Cl, and OH in terrestrial and planetary systems, which have determined that apatite-melt partitioning of volatiles are best described as exchange equilibria similar to Fe-Mg partitioning between olivine and silicate melt. However, McCubbin et al. recently reported that the exchange coefficients may vary in portions of apatite compositional space where F, Cl, and OH do not mix ideally in apatite. In particular, solution calorimetry data of apatite compositions along the F-Cl join exhibit substantial excess enthalpies of mixing. In the present study, we conducted apatite-melt partitioning experiments in evacuated, sealed silica-glass tubes at approximately 1 bar and 950-1050 degrees Centigrade on a synthetic Martian basalt composition equivalent to the basaltic shergottite Queen Alexandria Range (QUE) 94201. These experiments were conducted dry, at low pressure, to assess the effects of temperature and apatite composition on the partitioning behavior of F and Cl between apatite and basaltic melt along the F-Cl apatite binary join, where there is non-ideal mixing of F and Cl

  10. Water content within the oceanic upper mantle of the Southwest Indian Ridge: a FTIR analysis of orthopyroxenes of abyssal peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, W.; Li, H.; Tao, C.; Jin, Z.

    2013-12-01

    Water can be present in the oceanic upper mantle as structural OH in nominally anhydrous minerals. Such water has marked effects on manlte melting and rheology properties. However, the water content of MORB source is mainly inferred from MORB glass data that the water budget of oceanic upper mantle is poorly constrained. Here we present water analysis of peridotites from different sites on the Southwest Indian Ridge. The mineral assemblages of these peridotites are olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and spinel. As the peridotites have been serpentinized to different degrees, only water contents in orthopyroxnene can be better determined by FTIR spectrometry. The IR absorption bands of all measured orthopyroxenes can be devided into four different groups: (1)3562-3596 cm-1, (2)3515-3520 cm-1, (3)3415-3420 cm-1, (4)3200-3210 cm-1. The positions of these absorption bands are in good agreement with perivious reports. Hydrogen profile measurements performed on larger opx grains in each suite of samples show no obvious variations between core and rims regions, indicating that diffusion of H in orthopyroxene is insignificant. Preliminary measured water contents of orthopyroxene differ by up to one order of magnitude. Opx water contents (80-220 ppm) of most samples are within the range of those found in mantle xenoliths of contentinal settings [1]. Opx water contents of one sample (VM-21V-S9-D5-2: 38-64 ppm) are similar to those from Gakkel Ridge abyssal peridotites (25-60 ppm) [2] but higher than those from Mid-Atlantic Ridge ODP-Leg 209(~15 ppm) [3]. Two other samples show high water concentrations (VM-19ΙΙΙ-S3-TVG2-4: 260-275 ppm, Wb-18-b: 190-265 ppm) which compare well with those from Mid-Atlantic Ridge ODP-Leg 153(160-270 ppm) [4]. Most opx water contents decrease with increasing depletion degree (spl Cr#) consistent with an incompatible behavior of water during partial melting. Recalculated bulk water contents (27-117 ppm) of these peridotites overlap

  11. Dynamic melting in plume heads: the formation of Gorgona komatiites and basalts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arndt, Nicholas T.; Kerr, Andrew C.; Tarney, John

    1997-01-01

    The small Pacific island of Gorgona, off the coast of Colombia, is well known for its spectacular spinifex-textured komatiites. These high-Mg liquids, which have been linked to a late Cretaceous deep mantle plume, are part of a volcanic series with a wide range of trace-element compositions, from moderately enriched basalts ( La/SmN ˜ 1.5) to extremely depleted ultramafic tuffs and picrites ( La/SmN ˜ 0.2). Neither fractional crystallization, nor partial melting of a homogeneous mantle source, can account for this large variation: the source must have been chemically heterogeneous. Low 143Nd/144Nd in the more enriched basalts indicates some initial source heterogeneity but most of the variation in magma compositions is believed to result from dynamic melting during the ascent of a plume. Modelling of major- and trace-element compositions suggests that ultramafic magmas formed at ˜ 60-100 km depth, and that the melt extraction that gave rise to their depleted sources started at still greater depths. The ultra-depleted lavas represent magmas derived directly from the hottest, most depleted parts of the plume; the more abundant moderately depleted basalts are interpreted as the products of pooling of liquids from throughout the melting region.

  12. Carbonate stability in the reduced lower mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorfman, Susannah M.; Badro, James; Nabiei, Farhang; Prakapenka, Vitali B.; Cantoni, Marco; Gillet, Philippe

    2018-05-01

    Carbonate minerals are important hosts of carbon in the crust and mantle with a key role in the transport and storage of carbon in Earth's deep interior over the history of the planet. Whether subducted carbonates efficiently melt and break down due to interactions with reduced phases or are preserved to great depths and ultimately reach the core-mantle boundary remains controversial. In this study, experiments in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LHDAC) on layered samples of dolomite (Mg, Ca)CO3 and iron at pressure and temperature conditions reaching those of the deep lower mantle show that carbon-iron redox interactions destabilize the MgCO3 component, producing a mixture of diamond, Fe7C3, and (Mg, Fe)O. However, CaCO3 is preserved, supporting its relative stability in carbonate-rich lithologies under reducing lower mantle conditions. These results constrain the thermodynamic stability of redox-driven breakdown of carbonates and demonstrate progress towards multiphase mantle petrology in the LHDAC at conditions of the lowermost mantle.

  13. Melts of garnet lherzolite: experiments, models and comparison to melts of pyroxenite and carbonated lherzolite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grove, Timothy L.; Holbig, Eva S.; Barr, Jay A.; Till, Christy B.; Krawczynski, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Phase equilibrium experiments on a compositionally modified olivine leucitite from the Tibetan plateau have been carried out from 2.2 to 2.8 GPa and 1,380–1,480 °C. The experiments-produced liquids multiply saturated with spinel and garnet lherzolite phase assemblages (olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and spinel ± garnet) under nominally anhydrous conditions. These SiO2-undersaturated liquids and published experimental data are utilized to develop a predictive model for garnet lherzolite melting of compositionally variable mantle under anhydrous conditions over the pressure range of 1.9–6 GPa. The model estimates the major element compositions of garnet-saturated melts for a range of mantle lherzolite compositions and predicts the conditions of the spinel to garnet lherzolite phase transition for natural peridotite compositions at above-solidus temperatures and pressures. We compare our predicted garnet lherzolite melts to those of pyroxenite and carbonated lherzolite and develop criteria for distinguishing among melts of these different source types. We also use the model in conjunction with a published predictive model for plagioclase and spinel lherzolite to characterize the differences in major element composition for melts in the plagioclase, spinel and garnet facies and develop tests to distinguish between melts of these three lherzolite facies based on major elements. The model is applied to understand the source materials and conditions of melting for high-K lavas erupted in the Tibetan plateau, basanite–nephelinite lavas erupted early in the evolution of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, as well as younger tholeiitic to alkali lavas from Kilauea.

  14. Seismological Imaging of Melt Production Regions Beneath the Backarc Spreading Center and Volcanic Arc, Mariana Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiens, Douglas; Pozgay, Sara; Barklage, Mitchell; Pyle, Moira; Shiobara, Hajime; Sugioka, Hiroko

    2010-05-01

    We image the seismic velocity and attenuation structure of the mantle melt production regions associated with the Mariana Backarc Spreading Center and Mariana Volcanic Arc using data from the Mariana Subduction Factory Imaging Experiment. The passive component of this experiment consisted of 20 broadband seismographs deployed on the island chain and 58 ocean-bottom seismographs from June, 2003 until April, 2004. We obtained the 3D P and S wave velocity structure of the Mariana mantle wedge from a tomographic inversion of body wave arrivals from local earthquakes as well as P and S arrival times from large teleseismic earthquakes determined by multi-channel cross correlation. We also determine the 2-D attenuation structure of the mantle wedge using attenuation tomography based on local and regional earthquake spectra, and a broader-scale, lower resolution 3-D shear velocity structure from inversion of Rayleigh wave phase velocities using a two plane wave array analysis approach. We observe low velocity, high attenuation anomalies in the upper mantle beneath both the arc and backarc spreading center. These anomalies are separated by a higher velocity, lower attenuation region at shallow depths (< 80 km), implying distinct magma production regions for the arc and backarc in the uppermost mantle. The largest magnitude anomaly beneath the backarc spreading center is found at shallower depth (25-50 km) compared to the arc (50-100 km), consistent with melting depths estimated from the geochemistry of arc and backarc basalts (K. Kelley, pers. communication). The velocity and attenuation signature of the backarc spreading center is narrower than the corresponding anomaly found beneath the East Pacific Rise by the MELT experiment, perhaps implying a component of focused upwelling beneath the spreading center. The strong velocity and attenuation anomaly beneath the spreading center contrasts strongly with preliminary MT inversion results showing no conductivity anomaly in the

  15. Imaging of Upper-Mantle Upwelling Beneath the Salton Trough, Southern California, by Joint Inversion of Ambient Noise Dispersion Curves and Receiver Functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klemperer, S. L.; Barak, S.

    2016-12-01

    We present a new 2D shear-wave velocity model of the crust and upper-mantle across the Salton Trough, southern California, obtained by jointly inverting our new dataset of receiver functions and our previously published Rayleigh-wave group-velocity model (Barak et al., G-cubed, 2015), obtained from ambient-noise tomography. Our results show an upper-mantle low-velocity zone (LVZ) with Vs ≤4.2 km/s extending from the Elsinore Fault to the Sand Hills Fault, that together bracket the full width of major San Andreas dextral motion since its inception 6 Ma b.p., and underlying the full width of low topography of the Imperial Valley and Salton Trough. The lateral extent of the LVZ is coincident with the lateral extent of an upper-mantle anisotropic region interpreted as a zone of SAF-parallel melt pockets (Barak & Klemperer, Geology, 2016). The shallowest part of the LVZ is 40 km depth, coincident with S-receiver function images. The western part of the LVZ, between the Elsinore and San Jacinto faults (the region of greatest modern dextral slip), appears to continue to significantly greater depth; but a puzzling feature of our preliminary models is that the eastern part of the LVZ, from the San Jacinto Fault to the Sand Hills Fault, appears to be underlain by more-normalvelocity upper mantle (Vs ≥ 4.5 km/s) below 75 km depth. We compare our model to the current SCEC community models CVM-H and CVM-S, and to P-wave velocity models obtained by the active-source Salton Sea Imaging Project (SSIP). The hypothesized lower-crustal low-velocity zone beneath the Salton Trough in our previous model (Barak et al., G-cubed, 2015), there interpreted as a region of partial melt, is not supported by our new modeling. Melt may be largely absent from the lower crust of the Salton trough; but appears required in the upper mantle at depths as shallow as 40 km.

  16. Oxygen isotopes and volatile contents of the Gorgona komatiites, Colombia: A confirmation of the deep mantle origin of H2O

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurenko, Andrey A.; Kamenetsky, Vadim S.; Kerr, Andrew C.

    2016-11-01

    We report O isotopes in olivine grains (Fo89-93) and volatile contents (CO2, H2O, F, S, Cl) in olivine-hosted melt inclusions from one Gorgona picrite and five komatiites with the aim of constraining the origin of H2O in these magmas. These samples have previously been analysed for major and trace elements and volatile concentrations (H2O, S, Cl) and B isotopes in melt inclusions. A distinctive feature of the included melts is relatively high contents of volatile components and boron, which show positive anomalies in, otherwise depleted, primitive mantle normalised trace and rare earth element patterns and range in δ11 B from -11.5 to 15.6‰. In this study, the olivines were systematically analysed for O isotopes (1) in the centre of grains, (2) near the grain boundaries and, (3) as close as possible to the studied melt inclusions. The majority of olivines (∼66%) are ;mantle;-like, 4.8 ‰ ≤δ18 O ≤ 5.5 ‰, with a subordinate but still significant number (∼33%) above, and only 2 grains below, this range. There is no systematic difference between the central and marginal parts of the grains. Higher than ;mantle; δ18OOl values are ascribed to low-T (Gorgona mafic and ultramafic magmas.

  17. Linking lowermost mantle structure, core-mantle boundary heat flux and mantle plume formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Mingming; Zhong, Shijie; Olson, Peter

    2018-04-01

    The dynamics of Earth's lowermost mantle exert significant control on the formation of mantle plumes and the core-mantle boundary (CMB) heat flux. However, it is not clear if and how the variation of CMB heat flux and mantle plume activity are related. Here, we perform geodynamic model experiments that show how temporal variations in CMB heat flux and pulses of mantle plumes are related to morphologic changes of the thermochemical piles of large-scale compositional heterogeneities in Earth's lowermost mantle, represented by the large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). We find good correlation between the morphologic changes of the thermochemical piles and the time variation of CMB heat flux. The morphology of the thermochemical piles is significantly altered during the initiation and ascent of strong mantle plumes, and the changes in pile morphology cause variations in the local and the total CMB heat flux. Our modeling results indicate that plume-induced episodic variations of CMB heat flux link geomagnetic superchrons to pulses of surface volcanism, although the relative timing of these two phenomena remains problematic. We also find that the density distribution in thermochemical piles is heterogeneous, and that the piles are denser on average than the surrounding mantle when both thermal and chemical effects are included.

  18. Experimental determination of dissolved CO2 content in nominally anhydrous andesitic melts at graphite/diamond saturation - Remobilization of deeply subducted reduced carbon via partial melts of MORB-like eclogite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eguchi, J.; Dasgupta, R.

    2015-12-01

    Experimental phase relations of carbonated lithologies [1] and geochemistry of deep diamonds [2] suggest that deep recycling of carbon has likely been efficient for a significant portion of Earth's history. Both carbonates and organic carbon subduct into the mantle, but with gradual decrease of fO2 with depth [3] most carbon in deep mantle rocks including eclogite could be diamond/graphite [4]. Previous studies investigated the transfer of CO2 from subducted eclogite to the ambient mantle by partial melting in the presence of carbonates, i.e., by generation of carbonate-rich melts [5]. However, the transfer of carbon from subducted eclogite to the mantle can also happen, perhaps more commonly, by extraction of silicate partial melt in the presence of reduced carbon; yet, CO2 solubility in eclogite-derived andesitic melt at graphite/diamond saturation remains unconstrained. CO2content of eclogite melts is also critical as geochemistry of many ocean island basalts suggest the presence of C and eclogite in their source regions [6]. In the present study we determine CO2 concentration in a model andesitic melt [7] at graphite/diamond saturation at conditions relevant for partial melting of eclogite in the convecting upper mantle. Piston cylinder and multi anvil experiments were conducted at 1-6 GPa and 1375-1550 °C using Pt/Gr double capsules. Oxygen fugacity was monitored with Pt-Fe sensors in the starting mix. Completed experiments at 1-3 GPa show that CO2 concentration increases with increasing P, T, and fO2 up to ~0.3 wt%. Results were used to develop empirical and thermodynamic models to predict CO2 concentration in partial melts of graphite saturated eclogite. This allowed us to quantify the extent to which CO2 can mobilize from eclogitic heterogeneities at graphite/diamond saturated conditions. With estimates of eclogite contribution to erupted basaltic lavas, the models developed here allow us to put constraints on the flux of CO2 to mantle source regions

  19. Mantle xenoliths from Nemby, Eastern Paraguay: O-Sr-Nd isotopes and trace elements of hosted clinopyroxenes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Comin-Chiaramonti, P; Antonini, P; Girardi, V.A.V; Gomes, C.B; Laurora, S; Zanetti, A

    2001-01-01

    The Nemby spinel peridotites (Asuncion- Sapucai-Villarrica Graben, Central Eastern Paraguay) are variable in major element compositions, ranging from relatively 'fertile' to very depleted in basaltic component. Some of the xenoliths have exceeding high K 2 O (HK suite, distinct from the low K 2 O, LK-suite) and incompatible element (IE) contents compared with the composition of lherzolites which underwent partial melting during 'basalt-extraction'. The IE contents of clinopyroxenes encompass world-wide occurrences. This suggests that processes, other than depletion, occurred. Demarchi et al. (1988) have shown that K is mostly partitioned into glassy patches (blebs) in the xenoliths and glassy drops in clinopyroxenes. The blebs have been interpreted as derived from the breakdown of volatile-bearing wet phases, such as amphibole and/or phlogopite, which melted during ascent to the surface; the glassy drops in clinopyroxenes are generally interpreted as products of incongruent partial melting induced by decompression (Comin- Chiaramonti et al., 1986). Both probably represent the remnants of hydrous phases such as micas and/or amphiboles, and/or products induced by the influx of small-volume, volatile-rich melts (Petrini et al., 1994). In summary, most of the major element chemistry of the Nemby xenoliths (except for K 2 O and to a lesser extent for Na 2 O) are consistent with residual compositions after variable degrees of partial melting and metasomatic effects shown by alkali and IE enrichments in both whole rock and in clinopyroxene. Clinopyroxenes display variable REE enrichments, more evident in those crystals characterized by spongy texture and abundance of glassy drops. A possible explanation for the progressive enrichment of samples characterized by similar HREE and different LREE abundances is different ion-exchange processes (cf. 'simple mixing metasomatism model' of Song and Frey, 1989; Sen et al., 1993) due to the passage of LREE-rich chemical front on

  20. Deep Mantle Origin for the DUPAL Anomaly?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingle, S.; Weis, D.

    2002-12-01

    Twenty years after the discovery of the Dupal Anomaly, its origin remains a geochemical and geophysical enigma. This anomaly is associated with the Southern Hemisphere oceanic mantle and is recognized by basalts with geochemical characteristics such as low 206Pb/204Pb and high 87Sr/86Sr. Both mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and ocean island basalts (OIB) are affected, despite originating from melting at different depths and of different mantle sources. We compile geochemical data for both MORB and OIB from the three major oceans to help constrain the physical distribution and chemical composition of the Dupal Anomaly. There is a clear decrease in 206Pb/204Pb and an increase in 87Sr/86Sr with more southerly latitude for Indian MORB and OIB; these correlations are less obvious in the Atlantic and non-existent in the Pacific. The average* 143Nd/144Nd for Pacific and Atlantic OIB is 0.5129, but is lower for Indian OIB (0.5128). Interestingly, Pacific, Atlantic and Indian OIB all have 176Hf/177Hf averages of 0.2830. Indian MORB also record this phenomenon of low Nd with normal Hf isotopic compositions (Chauvel and Blichert-Toft, EPSL, 2001). Hf isotopes appear, therefore, to be a valid isotopic proxy for measuring the presence and magnitude of the Dupal Anomaly at specific locations. Wen (EPSL, 2001) reported a low-velocity layer at the D'' boundary beneath the Indian Ocean from which the Dupal Anomaly may originate. This hypothesis may be consistent with our compilations demonstrating that the long-lived Dupal Anomaly does not appear to be either mixing efficiently into the upper mantle or spreading to other ocean basins through time. We suggest that the Dupal source could be continually tapped by upwelling Indian Ocean mantle plumes. Plumes would then emplace pockets of Dupal material into the upper mantle and other ascending plumes might further disperse this material into the shallow asthenosphere. This could explain both the presence of the Dupal signature in MORB

  1. Fuel Rod Melt Progression Simulation Using Low-Temperature Melting Metal Alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seung Dong Lee; Suh, Kune Y.; GoonCherl Park; Un Chul Lee

    2002-01-01

    The TMI-2 accident and various severe fuel damage experiments have shown that core damage is likely to proceed through various states before the core slumps into the lower head. Numerous experiments were conducted to address when and how the core can lose its original geometry, what geometries are formed, and in what processes the core materials are transported to the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel. Core degradation progresses along the line of clad ballooning, clad oxidation, material interaction, metallic blockage, molten pool formation, melt progression, and relocation to the lower head. Relocation into the lower plenum may occur from the lateral periphery or from the bottom of the core depending upon the thermal and physical states of the pool. Determining the quantities and rate of molten material transfer to the lower head is important since significant amounts of molten material relocated to the lower head can threaten the vessel integrity by steam explosion and thermal and mechanical attack of the melt. In this paper the focus is placed on the melt flow regime on a cylindrical fuel rod utilizing the LAMDA (Lumped Analysis of Melting in Degrading Assemblies) facility at the Seoul National University. The downward relocation of the molten material is a combination of the external film flow and the internal pipe flow. The heater rods are 0.8 m long and are coated by a low-temperature melting metal alloy. The electrical internal heating method is employed during the test. External heating is adopted to simulate the exothermic Zircaloy-steam reaction. Tests are conducted in several quasi-steady-state conditions. Given the variable boundary conditions including the heat flux and the water level, observation is made for the melting location, progression, and the mass of molten material. Finally, the core melt progression model is developed from the visual inspection and quantitative analysis of the experimental data. As the core material relocates

  2. Multiple enrichment of the Carpathian-Pannonian mantle: Pb-Sr-Nd isotope and trace element constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaum, Jeffrey M.; Wilson, Marjorie; Downes, Hilary

    1997-07-01

    Pb isotope compositions of acid-leached clinopyroxene and amphibole mineral separates from spinel peridotite mantle xenoliths entrained in Tertiary-Quaternary alkali basalts from the Carpathian-Pannonian Region of eastern Europe provide important constraints on the processes of metasomatic enrichment of the mantle lithosphere in an extensional tectonic setting associated with recent subduction. Principal component analysis of Pb-Sr-Nd isotope and rare earth element compositions of the pyroxenes is used to identify the geochemical characteristics of the original lithospheric mantle protolith and a spectrum of infiltrating metasomatic agents including subduction-related aqueous fluids and silicate melts derived from a subduction-modified mantle wedge which contains a St. Helena-type (HIMU) plume component. The mantle protolith is highly depleted relative to mid-ocean ridge basalt-source mantle with Pb-Nd-Sr isotope compositions consistent with an ancient depletion event. Silicate melt infiltration into the protolith accounts for the primary variance in the Pb-Sr-Nd isotope compositions of the xenoliths and has locally generated metasomatic amphibole. Infiltration of aqueous fluids has introduced radiogenic Pb and Sr without significantly perturbing the rare earth element signature of the protolith. The Pb isotope compositions of the fluid-modified xenoliths suggest that they reacted with aqueous fluids released from a subduction zone which had equilibrated with sediment derived from an ancient basement terrain. We propose a model for mantle lithosphere evolution consistent with available textural and geochemical data for the xenolith population. The Pb-Sr-Nd isotope compositions of both alkaline mafic magmas and rare, subduction-related, calc-alkaline basaltic andesites from the region provide important constraints for the nature of the asthenospheric mantle wedge and confirm the presence of a HIMU plume component. These silicate melts contribute to the metasomatism

  3. On Lateral Viscosity Contrast in the Mantle and the Rheology of Low-Frequency Geodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivins, Erik R.; Sammis, Charles G.

    1995-01-01

    Mantle-wide heterogeneity is largely controlled by deeply penetrating thermal convective currents. These thermal currents are likely to produce significant lateral variation in rheology, and this can profoundly influence overall material behaviour. How thermally related lateral viscosity variations impact models of glacio-isostatic and tidal deformation is largely unknown. An important step towards model improvement is to quantify, or bound, the actual viscosity variations that characterize the mantle. Simple scaling of viscosity to shear-wave velocity fluctuations yields map-views of long- wavelength viscosity variation. These give a general quantitative description and aid in estimating the depth dependence of rheological heterogeneity throughout the mantle. The upper mantle is probably characterized by two to four orders of magnitude variation (peak-to-peak). Discrepant time-scales for rebounding Holocene shorelines of Hudson Bay and southern Iceland are consistent with this characterization. Results are given in terms of a local average viscosity ratio, (Delta)eta(bar)(sub i), of volumetric concentration, phi(sub i). For the upper mantle deeper than 340 km the following reasonable limits are estimated for (delta)eta(bar) approx. equal 10(exp -2): 0.01 less than or equal to phi less than or equal to 0.15. A spectrum of ratios (Delta)eta(bar)(sub i) less than 0.1 at concentration level eta(sub i) approx. equal 10(exp -6) - 10(exp -1) in the lower mantle implies a spectrum of shorter time-scale deformational response modes for second-degree spherical harmonic deformations of the Earth. Although highly uncertain, this spectrum of spatial variation allows a purely Maxwellian viscoelastic rheology simultaneously to explain all solid tidal dispersion phenomena and long-term rebound-related mantle viscosity. Composite theory of multiphase viscoelastic media is used to demonstrate this effect.

  4. Picrite "Intelligence" from the Middle-Late Triassic Stikine arc: Composition of mantle wedge asthenosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milidragovic, D.; Zagorevski, A.; Weis, D.; Joyce, N.; Chapman, J. B.

    2018-05-01

    Primitive, near-primary arc magmas occur as a volumetrically minor ≤100 m thick unit in the Canadian Cordillera of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. These primitive magmas formed an olivine-phyric, picritic tuff near the base of the Middle-Late Triassic Stuhini Group of the Stikine Terrane (Stikinia). A new 40Ar/39Ar age on hornblende from a cross-cutting basaltic dyke constrains the tuff to be older than 221 ± 2 Ma. An 87Sr/86Sr isochron of texturally-unmodified tuff samples yields 212 ± 25 Ma age, which is interpreted to represent syn-depositional equilibration with sea-water. Parental trace element magma composition of the picritic tuff is strongly depleted in most incompatible trace elements relative to MORB and implies a highly depleted ambient arc mantle. High-precision trace element and Hf-Nd-Pb isotopic analyses indicate an origin by mixing of a melt of depleted ambient asthenosphere with ≤2% of subducted sediment melt. Metasomatic addition of non-conservative incompatible elements through melting of subducted Panthalassa Ocean floor sediments accounts for the arc signature of the Stuhini Group picritic tuff, enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREE) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREE) and high field strength elements (HFSE), and anomalous enrichment in Pb. The inferred Panthalassan sediments are similar in composition to the Neogene-Quaternary sediments of the modern northern Cascadia Basin. The initial Hf isotopic composition of the picritic tuff closely approximates that of the ambient Middle-Late Triassic asthenosphere beneath Stikinia and is notably less radiogenic than the age-corrected Hf isotopic composition of the Depleted (MORB) Mantle reservoir (DM or DMM). This suggests that the ambient asthenospheric mantle end-member experienced melt depletion (F ≤ 0.05) a short time before picrite petrogenesis. The mantle end-member in the source of the Stuhini Group picritic tuff is isotopically similar to the mantle source of

  5. Petrological constraints on melt generation beneath the Asal Rift (Djibouti) using quaternary basalts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinzuti, Paul; Humler, Eric; Manighetti, Isabelle; Gaudemer, Yves

    2013-08-01

    The temporal evolution of the mantle melting processes in the Asal Rift is evaluated from the chemical composition of 56 new lava flows sampled along 10 km of the rift axis and 9 km off-axis (i.e., erupted within the last 620 kyr). Petrological and primary geochemical results show that most of the samples of the inner floor of the Asal Rift are affected by plagioclase accumulation. Trace element ratios and major element compositions corrected for mineral accumulation and crystallization show a symmetric pattern relative to the rift axis and preserved a clear signal of mantle melting depth variations. While FeO, Fe8.0, Zr/Y, and (Dy/Yb)N decrease from the rift shoulders to the rift axis, SiO2, Na/Ti, Lu/Hf increase and Na2O and Na8.0 are constant across the rift. These variations are qualitatively consistent with shallow melting beneath the rift axis and deeper melting for off-axis lava flows. Na8.0 and Fe8.0 contents show that beneath the rift axis, melting paths are shallow, from 81 ± 4 to 43 ± 5 km. These melting paths are consistent with adiabatic melting in normal-temperature fertile asthenosphere, beneath an extensively thinned mantle lithosphere. On the contrary, melting on the rift shoulders (from 107 ± 7 to 67 ± 8 km) occurred beneath thicker lithosphere, requiring a mantle solidus temperature 100 ± 40°C hotter. In this geodynamic environment, the calculated rate of lithospheric thinning appears to be 4.0 ± 2.0 cm yr-1, a value close to the mean spreading rate (2.9 ± 0.2 cm yr-1) over the last 620 kyr.

  6. Petrogenesis of basaltic volcanic rocks from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, by melting of metasomatically enriched depleted lithosphere, crystallization differentiation, and magma mixing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, J.M.; Feeley, T.C.; Deraps, M.R.

    2009-01-01

    The Pribilof Islands, Alaska, are located in the Bering Sea in a continental intraplate setting. In this study we examine the petrology and geochemistry of volcanic rocks from St. Paul (0??54-0??003 Ma) and St. George (2??8-1??4 Ma) Islands, the two largest Pribilof Islands. Rocks from St. George can be divided into three groups: group 1 is a high-MgO, low-SiO. 2 suite composed primarily of basanites; group 2 is a high-MgO, high-SiO 2 suite consisting predominantly of alkali basalts; group 3 is an intermediate- to low-MgO suite that includes plagioclase-phyric subalkali basalts and hawaiites. Major and trace element geochemistry suggests that groups 1 and 2 formed by small-degree partial melting of amphibole-bearing to amphibole-free garnet peridotite. Group 1 rocks were the earliest melts produced from the most hydrous parts of the mantle, as they show the strongest geochemical signature of amphibole in their source. The suite of rocks from St. Paul ranges from 14??4 to 4??2 wt % MgO at relatively constant SiO 2 contents (43??1-47??3 wt %). The most primitive St. Paul rocks are modeled as mixtures between magmas with compositions similar to groups 1 and 2 from St. George Island, which subsequently fractionated olivine, clinopyroxene, and spinel to form more evolved rocks. Plagioclase-phyric group 3 rocks from St. George are modeled as mixtures between an evolved melt similar to the evolved magmas on St. Paul and a fractionated group 2 end-member from St. George. Mantle potential temperatures estimated for primitive basanites and alkali basalts are ???1400??C and are similar to those of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). Similarly, 87Sr/. 86Sr and 143Nd/. 144Nd values for all rocks are MORB-like, in the range of 0??702704-0??703035 and 0??513026-0??513109, respectively. 208Pb/. 204Pb vs 206Pb/. 204Pb values lie near the MORB end-member but show a linear trend towards HIMU (high time-integrated 238U/. 204Pb). Despite isotopic similarities to MORB, many of the major and

  7. OPTIMISATION OF MANTLE TANKS FOR LOW FLOW SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shah, Louise Jivan; Furbo, Simon

    1996-01-01

    A model, describing the heat transfer coefficients in the mantle of a mantle tank has been developed. The model is validated by means of measurements with varying operational conditions for different designed mantle tanks. The model has been implemented in an existing detailed mathematical...... with the programme and by means of tests of three SDHW systems with different designed mantle tanks. Based on the investigations design rules for mantle tanks are proposed. The model, describing the heat transfer coefficients in the mantle is approximate. In addition, the measurements have revealed...... that a temperature stratification in the hot water tank, above the mantle is built up. This phenomenon may be important, but it is not taken into calculation in the programme. Therefore, theoretical and practical work is continuing in order to make a more precise model for the whole mantle tank....

  8. Earth's evolving subcontinental lithospheric mantle: inferences from LIP continental flood basalt geochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenough, John D.; McDivitt, Jordan A.

    2018-04-01

    Archean and Proterozoic subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SLM) is compared using 83 similarly incompatible element ratios (SIER; minimally affected by % melting or differentiation, e.g., Rb/Ba, Nb/Pb, Ti/Y) for >3700 basalts from ten continental flood basalt (CFB) provinces representing nine large igneous provinces (LIPs). Nine transition metals (TM; Fe, Mn, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) in 102 primitive basalts (Mg# = 0.69-0.72) from nine provinces yield additional SLM information. An iterative evaluation of SIER values indicates that, regardless of age, CFB transecting Archean lithosphere are enriched in Rb, K, Pb, Th and heavy REE(?); whereas P, Ti, Nb, Ta and light REE(?) are higher in Proterozoic-and-younger SLM sources. This suggests efficient transfer of alkali metals and Pb to the continental lithosphere perhaps in association with melting of subducted ocean floor to form Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite terranes. Titanium, Nb and Ta were not efficiently transferred, perhaps due to the stabilization of oxide phases (e.g., rutile or ilmenite) in down-going Archean slabs. CFB transecting Archean lithosphere have EM1-like SIER that are more extreme than seen in oceanic island basalts (OIB) suggesting an Archean SLM origin for OIB-enriched mantle 1 (EM1). In contrast, OIB high U/Pb (HIMU) sources have more extreme SIER than seen in CFB provinces. HIMU may represent subduction-processed ocean floor recycled directly to the convecting mantle, but to avoid convective homogenization and produce its unique Pb isotopic signature may require long-term isolation and incubation in SLM. Based on all TM, CFB transecting Proterozoic lithosphere are distinct from those cutting Archean lithosphere. There is a tendency for lower Sc, Cr, Ni and Cu, and higher Zn, in the sources for Archean-cutting CFB and EM1 OIB, than Proterozoic-cutting CFB and HIMU OIB. All CFB have SiO2 (pressure proxy)-Nb/Y (% melting proxy) relationships supporting low pressure, high % melting

  9. Oxo-amphiboles in mantle xenoliths: evidence for H2O-rich melt interacting with the lithospheric mantle of Harrow Peaks (Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentili, S.; Bonadiman, C.; Biagioni, C.; Comodi, P.; Coltorti, M.; Zucchini, A.; Ottolini, L.

    2015-12-01

    Amphiboles are the most widespread hydrous metasomatic phases in spinel-bearing mantle peridotites from Harrow Peaks (HP), Northern Victoria Land (Antarctica). They occur both in veinlets and disseminated in the peridotite matrix (preferentially associated with clinopyroxene and spinel grains). Four amphibole crystals were investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD), electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and micro-Mössbauer spectroscopy; these crystal-chemical data allow to constrain upper mantle conditions during growth of these amphiboles and the role of volatile circulation during metasomatic processes in the Antarctic region. The HP amphiboles have low Mg# values (69.3-84.1), high TiO2 (2.74-5.30 wt%) and FeOtot contents (3.40 to 6.90 wt%). The Fe3+/Fetot ratios are significantly high (0.53-0.66). The W-site is mainly occupied by O2- (0.984-1.187 apfu) plus OH (H2O: 0.70-1.01 wt%) and minor F (0.04-0.24 wt%) and Cl (0.03-0.08 wt%). Consequently, HP amphiboles are actually characterized by a significant oxo component. The aH2O values were calculated at 1.5 GPa by dehydration equilibrium equations written as H2O-buffering equilibria among end-member components of amphibole and coexisting peridotite phases. Three out of four HP amphibole-bearing peridotites have values of aH2O ranging from 0.122 to 0.335; whereas one sample has aH2O remarkably higher (0.782) approaching an ideal H2O basalt solubility. The HP fO2 values, determined by the olivine-spinel-orthopyroxene oxygeobarometer (ΔQFM = -1.77 : +0.01), are remarkably different from those calculated on the basis of the amphibole dehydration equilibrium and the application of the dissociation reaction (ΔQFM = -2.60 : +6.8). The high aH2O and the extremely high fO2 values, determined by the oxy-amphibole equilibrium with respect to the redox conditions recorded by the co-existing anhydrous minerals (close to QFM buffer), revealed that: i) the amphibole

  10. Petrogenesis of Neogene basaltic volcanism associated with the Lut block, eastern Iran: Implication for tectonic and metallogenic evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saadat, Saeed

    the major faults that bound the Lut block on the east and west. These low-volumes, low-degree melts have been formed by low variable degrees of partial melting of mantle source produced by upwelling asthenosphere replaced the thinned lithospheric mantle.

  11. Applicability of low-melting-point microcrystalline wax to develop temperature-sensitive formulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Kohei; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Iwao, Yasunori; Itai, Shigeru

    2017-10-30

    Low-melting-point substances are widely used to develop temperature-sensitive formulations. In this study, we focused on microcrystalline wax (MCW) as a low-melting-point substance. We evaluated the drug release behavior of wax matrix (WM) particles using various MCW under various temperature conditions. WM particles containing acetaminophen were prepared using a spray congealing technique. In the dissolution test at 37°C, WM particles containing low-melting-point MCWs whose melting was starting at approx. 40°C (Hi-Mic-1045 or 1070) released the drug initially followed by the release of only a small amount. On the other hand, in the dissolution test at 20 and 25°C for WM particles containing Hi-Mic-1045 and at 20, 25, and 30°C for that containing Hi-Mic-1070, both WM particles showed faster drug release than at 37°C. The characteristic drug release suppression of WM particles containing low-melting-point MCWs at 37°C was thought attributable to MCW melting, as evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry analysis and powder X-ray diffraction analysis. Taken together, low-melting-point MCWs may be applicable to develop implantable temperature-sensitive formulations that drug release is accelerated by cooling at administered site. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Non-chondritic iron isotope ratios in planetary mantles as a result of core formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elardo, Stephen M.; Shahar, Anat

    2017-02-01

    Information about the materials and conditions involved in planetary formation and differentiation in the early Solar System is recorded in iron isotope ratios. Samples from Earth, the Moon, Mars and the asteroid Vesta reveal significant variations in iron isotope ratios, but the sources of these variations remain uncertain. Here we present experiments that demonstrate that under the conditions of planetary core formation expected for the Moon, Mars and Vesta, iron isotopes fractionate between metal and silicate due to the presence of nickel, and enrich the bodies' mantles in isotopically light iron. However, the effect of nickel diminishes at higher temperatures: under conditions expected for Earth's core formation, we infer little fractionation of iron isotopes. From our experimental results and existing conceptual models of magma ocean crystallization and mantle partial melting, we find that nickel-induced fractionation can explain iron isotope variability found in planetary samples without invoking nebular or accretionary processes. We suggest that near-chondritic iron isotope ratios of basalts from Mars and Vesta, as well as the most primitive lunar basalts, were achieved by melting of isotopically light mantles, whereas the heavy iron isotope ratios of terrestrial ocean floor basalts are the result of melting of near-chondritic Earth mantle.

  13. Thermal Stratification in Vertical Mantle Tanks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Søren; Furbo, Simon

    2001-01-01

    It is well known that it is important to have a high degree of thermal stratification in the hot water storage tank to achieve a high thermal performance of SDHW systems. This study is concentrated on thermal stratification in vertical mantle tanks. Experiments based on typical operation conditions...... are carried out to investigate how the thermal stratification is affected by different placements of the mantle inlet. The heat transfer between the solar collector fluid in the mantle and the domestic water in the inner tank is analysed by CFD-simulations. Furthermore, the flow pattern in the vertical mantle...

  14. Geophysical constraints on the mantle structure of the Canadian Cordillera and North America Craton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, T. C.; Currie, C. A.; Unsworth, M. J.

    2017-12-01

    In western Canada, geophysical data indicate that there is a pronounced contrast in mantle structure between the Canadian Cordillera (CC) and North America craton (NAC). The CC is characterized by lower mantle seismic velocity, higher surface heat flow, lower mantle electrical resistivity and lower effective elastic thickness. These observations are consistent with two distinct thermal regimes: the CC has hot and thin lithosphere, while the NAC lithosphere is cool and thick. The boundary between the CC and NAC coincides with the south-north trending Rocky Mountain Trench - Tintina Fault system. Earlier studies have hypothesized that the thin CC lithosphere is maintained by small-scale convection of hydrated mantle, whereas the NAC lithosphere is dry and resistant to thinning. Here, we test this hypothesis through a detailed examination of two independent data sets: (1) seismic shear-wave (Vs) tomography models and (2) magnetotelluric (MT) measurements of mantle electrical resistivity. We analyze tomography model NA07 at 50-250 km depth and create a mapping of Vs to temperature based on mantle composition (via Perple_X) and a correction for anelasticity. For the CC, the calculated temperature is relatively insensitive to mantle composition but strongly depends on the water content and anelastic correction. With a laboratory-based correction, the estimated temperature is 1150 °C at 100 km depth for wet mantle, compared to 1310 °C for dry mantle; no melt is predicted in either case. An empirical anelastic correction predicts a 115 °C hotter mantle and likely some melt. In contrast, composition is the main control on the calculated temperature for the NAC, especially at depths electrical resistivity is sensitive to mantle temperature and hydration.

  15. Mantle properties and the MOR process: a new and versatile model for mid-ocean ridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osmaston, Miles

    2014-05-01

    Introduction. First I summarize the reasons why a radical departure from the current MOR model is now essential. I then outline the new model and its apparent versatility, not only in providing the observed contrasting spreading-rate-dependent characteristics but also some of the other common features of the MOR system which warrant clearer explanation. Ophiolites have been thought to provide on-land guidance but turn out to be a non-mid-ocean variant, outside the scope of this presentation. Seismic anisotropy and mantle mobility. Ever since the 1969 discovery [1] of seismic anisotropy in the uppermost oceanic mantle, this has been attributed to the shearing of olivine in a convectively driven MOR-divergent flow beneath the flanks. This would imply a high degree of rheological mobility of this mantle, but new constraints on its rheological properties and dynamical behaviour have come from two directions and need to be taken into account in forming a model. 1. Contrary to the seismologists' rule-book, the oceanic seismological Low Velocity Zone (LVZ) is no longer to be thought of as mobile, because the presence of interstitial melt strips out the water-weakening of the mineral structure [2, 3]. So we require a substitute for the divergent-flow model for MORs which, we find, also has other, apparently unrecognized, dynamical inconsistencies. One of these [4] is that there are in the record many rapid changes of spreading rate and direction, and ridge jumps. This cannot happen with a process driven by slow-to-change body forces, such as thermal convection. 2. My work on the global dynamic pattern for the past 150Ma (I will show examples) has shown [4 - 7] that the tectospheres of cratons must extend to very close to the bottom of the upper mantle (660km). The metasomatism of kimberlite xenoliths from >180km depth suggests that the reason for this downwards extent of 'keels' is the same as [3]. Phase changes. Another geodynamically important property apparently

  16. Melt Origin Across a Rifted Continental Margin: A Case for Subduction-related Metasomatic Agents in the Lithospheric Source of Alkaline Basalt, Northwest Ross Sea, Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panter, K. S.; Castillo, P.; Krans, S. R.; Deering, C. D.; McIntosh, W. C.; Valley, J. W.; Kitajima, K.; Kyle, P. R.; Hart, S. R.; Blusztajn, J.

    2017-12-01

    Alkaline magmatism within the West Antarctic rift system in the NW Ross Sea (NWRS) includes a chain of shield volcanoes extending 260 km along the coast, numerous seamounts located on the continental shelf and hundreds more within the oceanic Adare Basin. Dating and geochemistry confirm that the seamounts are Pliocene‒Pleistocene in age and petrogenetically akin to the mostly Miocene volcanism on the continent as well as to a much broader region of alkaline volcanism that altogether encompasses areas of West Antarctica, Zealandia and Australia. All of these regions were contiguous prior to Gondwana breakup at 100 Ma, suggesting that the magmatism is interrelated. Mafic alkaline magmas (> 6 wt.% MgO) erupted across the transition from continent to ocean in the NWRS show a remarkable systematic increase in Si-undersaturation, P2O5, Sr, Zr, Nb and light rare earth element (LREE) concentrations, LREE/HREE and Nb/Y ratios. Radiogenic isotopes also vary with Nd and Pb ratios increasing and Sr ratios decreasing ocean-ward. The variations are not explained by crustal contamination or by changes in degree of mantle partial melting but are likely a function of the thickness and age of mantle lithosphere. The isotopic signature of the most Si-undersaturated and incompatible element enriched basalts best represent the composition of the sub-lithospheric source with low 87Sr/86Sr (≤ 0.7030) and δ18Oolivine (≤ 5.0 ‰), high 143Nd/144Nd ( 0.5130) and 206Pb/204Pb (≥ 20) ratios. The isotopic `endmember' is derived from recycled material and was transferred to the lithospheric mantle by small degree melts to form amphibole-rich metasomes. Later melting of the metasomes produced silica-undersaturated liquids that reacted with the surrounding peridotite. This reaction occurred to a greater extent as the melt traversed through thicker and older lithosphere continent-ward. Ancient or more recent ( 550‒100 Ma) subduction along the margin of Gondwana supplied the recycled

  17. Trace Element Partitioning Between low-Ca Pyroxene and Ultracalcic Liquids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pertermann, M.; Schmidt, M. W.; Pettke, T.

    2003-12-01

    Low-Ca pyroxene or pigeonite ( ˜0.25-0.35 Ca per formula unit, pfu) is an important residual phase during high temperature melting of refractory mantle (e.g., ankaramite formation). High-Ca cpx (>0.6-0.7 Ca pfu) may be residual to relatively low temperature melting of fertile mantle (MOR and OI), but the opx-cpx solvus narrows considerably at higher temperatures (>1330-1350° C), leading to coexisting opx and low-Ca cpx. Little is known about the trace element partitioning of such low-Ca cpx at upper mantle conditions. Our new partitioning experiments investigate the role of low-Ca cpx during melting of depleted peridotite. Nominally anhydrous experiments with graphite-lined Pt-capsules were conducted at 1.4 GPa and 1360-1370° C. The synthetic starting material is close in composition to an ultracalcic liquid saturated in opx+pigeonite+olivine+spinel. The experiments yielded assemblages of glass, low-Ca cpx, ol, and minor Cr-spinel; opx is absent. The low-Ca clinopyroxenes have 0.20 and 0.32 Ca pfu at 1370 and 1360° C, respectively, and tetrahedral Al of 0.046 and 0.067 pfu. The liquids have ˜50 wt% SiO2, ˜12.5 wt% CaO and CaO/Al2O3 of 1.44-1.54. Pyroxenes and glasses were analyzed for trace elements (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er Yb, Lu, Sc, Y, Sr, Zr, Hf, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn) by LA-ICP-MS using a 193 nm ArF excimer laser coupled to an Elan 6100 mass spectrometer. Ablation occurred in He, and ablation spot sizes were 15-30 μ m for minerals and 50 μ m for glasses. Trace element concentrations in pyroxenes were low for most 3+ and 4+ cations. This resulted in small mineral/melt partition coefficients (D-values), approximately an order of magnitude lower than those for high-Ca cpx associated with peridotite melting, thus making the low-Ca cpx partitioning behavior rather similar to the behavior of peridotitic opx. Cpx with 0.32 Ca pfu has slightly elevated D-values for 3+ cations when compared to the 0.20 Ca pfu cpx: DSc = 0.45, DY = 0.11, DSm = 0.054 and DYb

  18. Evidence of Arc Magma Genesis in a Paleo-Mantle Wedge, the Higashi-Akaishi Peridotite, Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Till, C. B.; Guild, M. R.; Grove, T. L.; Carlson, R. W.

    2014-12-01

    Located in the Sanbagawa subduction-related high-pressure metamorphic belt in SW Japan on the island of Shikoku, the Higashi-akaishi peridotite body is composed of dunite, lherzolite and garnet clinopyroxenite, interfingered in one locality with quartz-rich eclogite. Previous work indicates the P-T history of the peridotite includes rapid prograde metamorphism with peak temperatures of 700-810°C and pressures of 2.9-3.8 GPa [1] at ~88-89 Ma followed by rapid exhumation at >2.5 cm/yr [2,3]. Major and trace element and isotopic data from samples within the Higashi-akaishi peridotite presented here and in another recent study [4] provide a record of subduction zone melting processes in a paleo-mantle wedge. Ultramafic samples range from 40-52 wt.% SiO2, 1-11 wt.% Al2O3 and 21-45 wt.% MgO with olivine and clinopyroxene Mg#'s as high as 0.93. The quartz-rich eclogite contains 62 wt.% SiO2, 6 wt.% MgO and 13 wt.% Al2O3 with trace element concentrations that are enriched relative to the ultramafic samples. 87Sr/86Sr (.703237-.704288), 143Nd/144Nd (ɛNd=+2 to +6) and Pb isotopic compositions are within the range of previously studied Japanese arc rocks. We interpret the pyroxenites as shallowly crystallized cumulates with varying amounts of trapped hydrous melt and the harzburgites as residues of melting. The peak P-T conditions of these rocks are similar to the solidus conditions of H2O-saturated fertile mantle near the base of the mantle wedge [5,6]. The presence of garnet porphyroblasts that enclose primary euhedral chlorite together with the chemical evidence, suggest these samples are associated with mantle melting in the presence of H2O. Major element modeling suggests the quartz-rich eclogite composition can be reproduced through mixing melts of subducted sediment with wet peridotite melts in the mantle wedge. Thus the Higashi-aikashi rock suite provides an in-situ record of the beginnings of hydrous melting and the mechanisms of metasomatism in the mantle wedge

  19. Extreme Hf and light Fe isotopes in Archean komatiites - a remnant of very early mantle depletion?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nebel, O.; Sossi, P.; Campbell, I. H.; Van Kranendonk, M. J.

    2014-12-01

    Hafnium isotope signatures in some Archean komatiites (ca. 3.5-3.0 billion years old) require a mantle source with a time-integrated Lu/Hf that exceeds average modern depleted mantle. Investigation of the timing and locus of parent-daughter fractionation in their mantle sources potentially constrains differentiation processes in the early Earth and their subsequent distribution and storage. In addition, they may help to constrain the Hf isotope evolution of the greater depleted mantle. In order to shed light on these processes, we discuss radiogenic Hf isotopes in conjunction with stable Fe isotope systematics in Archean komatiites from the Pilbara craton in Western Australia. Our findings indicate that, after careful evaluation of the effects of alteration, pristine samples are characterised by initial 176Hf/177Hf, which lie above the age-corrected depleted mantle, as a consequence of ancient melt extraction. Iron isotope systematics for these samples further point to a mantle source that is isotopically lighter than average modern depleted mantle, which is also consistent with melt-depletion. Taken together, these observations require a component of an old, super-depleted reservoir in the komatiite mantle source(s) that survived in the mantle for possibly hundreds of millions of years. The Lu/Hf of this refractory mantle appears to be complementary to, and therefore contemporaneous with, the first terrestrial crust, as preserved in Hadean (i.e., > 4 Ga) detrital zircon cores, which may indicate a causal relationship between them. We will discuss implications for very early mantle dynamics and the formation of very early mantle reservoirs.

  20. The Origin of Mercury's Surface Composition, an Experimental Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boujibar, A.; Righter, K.; Rapp, J. F.; Ross, D. K.; Pando, K. M.; Danielson, L. R.; Fontaine, E.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Results from MESSENGER spacecraft have confirmed the reduced nature of Mercury, based on its high core/mantle ratio and its FeO-poor and S-rich surface. Moreover, high resolution images revealed large volcanic plains and abundant pyroclastic deposits, suggesting major melting stages of the Mercurian mantle. In addition, MESSENGER has provided the most precise data to date on major elemental compositions of Mercury's surface. These results revealed considerable chemical heterogeneities that suggested several stages of differentiation and re-melting processes. This interpretation was challenged by our experimental previous study, which showed a similar compositional variation in the melting products of enstatite chondrites, which are a possible Mercury analogue. However, these experimental melts were obtained over a limited range of pressure (1 bar to 1 gigapascal) and were not compared to the most recent elemental maps. Therefore, here we extend the experimental dataset to higher pressures and perform a more quantitative comparison with Mercury's surface compositions measured by MESSENGER. In particular, we test whether these chemical heterogeneities result from mixing between polybaric melts. Our experiments and models show that the majority of chemical diversity of Mercury's surface can result from melting of a primitive mantle compositionally similar to enstatite chondrites in composition at various depths and degrees of melting. The high-Mg region's composition is reproduced by melting at high pressure (3 gigapascals) (Tab. 1), which is consistent with previous interpretation as being a large degraded impact basin based on its low elevation and thin average crust. While low-Mg NVP (North Volcanic Plains) are the result of melting at low pressure (1 bar), intermediate-Mg NVP, Caloris Basin and Rachmaninoff result from mixing of a high-pressure (3 gigapascals) and low-pressure components (1 bar for Rachmaninoff and 1 gigapascal for the other regions

  1. Origins of cratonic mantle discontinuities: A view from petrology, geochemistry and thermodynamic models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aulbach, Sonja; Massuyeau, Malcolm; Gaillard, Fabrice

    2017-01-01

    Geophysically detectible mid-lithospheric discontinuities (MLD) and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundaries (LAB) beneath cratons have received much attention over recent years, but a consensus on their origin has not yet emerged. Cratonic lithosphere composition and origin is peculiar due to its ultra-depletion during plume or accretionary tectonics, cool present-day geothermal gradients, compositional and rheological stratification and multiple metasomatic overprints. Bearing this in mind, we integrate current knowledge on the physical properties, chemical composition, mineralogy and fabric of cratonic mantle with experimental and thermodynamic constraints on the formation and migration of melts, both below and within cratonic lithosphere, in order to find petrologically viable explanations for cratonic mantle discontinuities. LABs characterised by strong seismic velocity gradients and increased conductivity require the presence of melts, which can form beneath intact cratonic roots reaching to 200-250 km depth only in exceptionally warm and/or volatile-rich mantle, thus explaining the paucity of seismical LAB observations beneath cratons. When present, pervasive interaction of these - typically carbonated - melts with the deep lithosphere leads to densification and thermochemical erosion, which generates topography at the LAB and results in intermittent seismic LAB signals or conflicting seismic, petrologic and thermal LAB depths. In rare cases (e.g. Tanzanian craton), the tops of live melt percolation fronts may appear as MLDs and, after complete lithosphere rejuvenation, may be sites of future, shallower LABs (e.g. North China craton). Since intact cratons are presently tectonomagmatically quiescent, and since MLDs produce both positive and negative velocity gradients, in some cases with anisotropy, most MLDs may be best explained by accumulations (metasomes) of seismically slow minerals (pyroxenes, phlogopite, amphibole, carbonates) deposited during past

  2. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions as an archive of redox heterogeneity in magmatic systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartley, Margaret E.; Shorttle, Oliver; Maclennan, John; Moussallam, Yves; Edmonds, Marie

    2017-12-01

    The redox state of volcanic products determines their leverage on the oxidation of Earth's oceans and atmosphere, providing a long-term feedback on oxygen accumulation at the planet's surface. An archive of redox conditions in volcanic plumbing systems from a magma's mantle source, through crustal storage, to eruption, is carried in pockets of melt trapped within crystals. While melt inclusions have long been exploited for their capacity to retain information on a magma's history, their permeability to fast-diffusing elements such as hydrogen is now well documented and their retention of initial oxygen fugacities (fO2) could be similarly diffusion-limited. To test this, we have measured Fe3+/ΣFe by micro-XANES spectroscopy in a suite of 65 olivine-hosted melt inclusions and 9 matrix glasses from the AD 1783 Laki eruption, Iceland. This eruption experienced pre-eruptive mixing of chemically diverse magmas, syn-eruptive degassing at the vent, and post-eruptive degassing during lava flow up to 60 km over land, providing an ideal test of whether changes in the fO2 of a magma may be communicated through to its cargo of crystal-hosted melt inclusions. Melt inclusions from rapidly quenched tephra samples have Fe3+/ΣFe of 0.206 ± 0.008 (ΔQFM of +0.7 ± 0.1), with no correlation between their fO2 and degree of trace element enrichment or differentiation. These inclusions preserve the redox conditions of the mixed pre-eruptive Laki magma. When corrected for fractional crystallisation to 10 wt.% MgO, these inclusions record a parental magma [Fe3+/ΣFe](10) of 0.18 (ΔQFM of +0.4), significantly more oxidised than the Fe3+/ΣFe of 0.10 that is often assumed for Icelandic basalt magmas. Melt inclusions from quenched lava selvages are more reduced than those from the tephra, having Fe3+/ΣFe between 0.133 and 0.177 (ΔQFM from -0.4 to +0.4). These inclusions have approached equilibrium with their carrier lava, which has been reduced by sulfur degassing. The progressive re

  3. Mantle roots of the Emeishan plume: an evaluation based on teleseismic P-wave tomography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. He

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The voluminous magmatism associated with large igneous provinces (LIPs is commonly correlated to upwelling plumes from the core–mantle boundary (CMB. Here we analyse seismic tomographic data from the Emeishan LIP in southwestern China. Our results reveal vestiges of delaminated crustal and/or lithospheric mantle, with an upwelling in the upper mantle beneath the Emeishan LIP rather than a plume rooted in the CMB. We suggest that the magmatism and the Emeishan LIP formation might be connected with the melting of delaminated lower crustal and/or lithospheric components which resulted in plume-like upwelling from the upper mantle or from the mantle transition zone.

  4. Sulfur Saturation Limits in Silicate Melts and their Implications for Core Formation Scenarios for Terrestrial Planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzheid, Astrid; Grove, Timothy L.

    2002-01-01

    This study explores the controls of temperature, pressure, and silicate melt composition on S solubility in silicate liquids. The solubility of S in FeO-containing silicate melts in equilibrium with metal sulfide increases significantly with increasing temperature but decreases with increasing pressure. The silicate melt structure also exercises a control on S solubility. Increasing the degree of polymerization of the silicate melt structure lowers the S solubility in the silicate liquid. The new set of experimental data is used to expand the model of Mavrogenes and O'Neill(1999) for S solubility in silicate liquids by incorporating the influence of the silicate melt structure. The expected S solubility in the ascending magma is calculated using the expanded model. Because the negative pressure dependence of S solubility is more influential than the positive temperature dependence, decompression and adiabatic ascent of a formerly S-saturated silicate magma will lead to S undersaturation. A primitive magma that is S-saturated in its source region will, therefore, become S-undersaturated as it ascends to shallower depth. In order to precipitate magmatic sulfides, the magma must first cool and undergo fractional crystallization to reach S saturation. The S content in a metallic liquid that is in equilibrium with a magma ocean that contains approx. 200 ppm S (i.e., Earth's bulk mantle S content) ranges from 5.5 to 12 wt% S. This range of S values encompasses the amount of S (9 to 12 wt%) that would be present in the outer core if S is the light element. Thus, the Earth's proto-mantle could be in equilibrium (in terms of the preserved S abundance) with a core-forming metallic phase.

  5. Mantle and crustal contribution in the genesis of Recent basalts from off-rift zones in Iceland: Constraints from Th, Sr and O isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigmarsson, Olgeir; Condomines, Michel; Fourcade, Serge

    1992-05-01

    Along the two volcanic off-rift zones in Iceland, the Sn˦fellsnes volcanic zone (SNVZ) and the South Iceland volcanic zone (SIVZ), geochemical parameters vary regularly along the strike towards the centre of the island. Recent basalts from the SNVZ change from alkali basalts to tholeiites where the volcanic zone reaches the active rift axis, and their 87Sr/ 86Sr and Th/U ratios decrease in the same direction. These variations are interpreted as the result of mixing between mantle melts from two distinct reservoirs below Sn˦fellsnes. The mantle melt would be more depleted in incompatible elements, but with a higher 3He/ 4He ratio ( R/Ra≈ 20) beneath the centre of Iceland than at the tip of the Sn˦fellsnes volcanic zone ( R/Ra≈ 7.5). From southwest to northeast along the SIVZ, the basalts change from alkali basalts to FeTi basalts and quartz-normative tholeiites. The Th/U ratio of the Recent basalts increases and both ( 230Th/ 232Th ) and δ 18O values decrease in the same direction. This reflects an important crustal contamination of the FeTi-rich basalts and the quartz tholeiites. The two types of basalts could be produced through assimilation and fractional crystallization in which primary alkali basaltic and olivine tholeiitic melts 'erode' and assimilate the base of the crust. The increasingly tholeiitic character of the basalts towards the centre of Iceland, which reflects a higher degree of partial melting, is qualitatively consistent with increasing geothermal gradient and negative gravity anomaly. The highest Sr isotope ratio in Recent basalts from Iceland is observed inÖr˦fajökull volcano, which has a 3He/ 4He ratio ( R/Ra≈ 7.8) close to the MORB value, and this might represent a mantle source similar to that of Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

  6. Insights into the mantle geochemistry of scandium from a meta-analysis of garnet data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chassé, Mathieu; Griffin, William L.; Alard, Olivier; O'Reilly, Suzanne Y.; Calas, Georges

    2018-06-01

    The meta-analysis of about 13,000 analyses of scandium content in garnet grains shows that, below the spinel-garnet transition, this phase carries about three-quarters of the Sc budget of the mantle, indicating its control on Sc mobility. The Sc content of garnets in mafic rocks is low, due to a dilution effect resulting from their high modal content in garnet. Garnets from ultramafic rocks exhibit a wider range of Sc concentrations. We assess the relative influence of thermobarometry, crystal chemistry and fluid-related events on the distribution of Sc in garnet from such rocks to improve the tracking of geochemical processes in the mantle. Pressure and temperature of equilibration in the mantle are second-order factors influencing the Sc content of garnet, while crystal chemistry, in particular Cr/Cr+Al and Ca/Ca+Mg, is the main parameter controlling the compatibility of Sc. Scandium is incorporated in both X and Y sites of Cr-Ca-rich garnets, resulting in a behaviour intermediate between rare-earth elements, incorporated in the X site, and trivalent transition elements, occupying the Y site. This affinity for both sites results in a mild compatibility of Sc in the garnet stability field of the mantle; hence Sc concentration in garnet increases with melt extraction and can be reduced by silicate-melt metasomatism. In contrast, metasomatism by volatile-rich fluids increases the Sc concentration in garnet. The control of garnet on the compatibility of Sc in deep lithospheric rocks demonstrates the potential of using Sc to track the conditions of formation of magmas and their residual rocks, as well as the origin and nature of metasomatic fluids.

  7. Melting relations in the Fe-rich portion of the system FeFeS at 30 kb pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brett, R.; Bell, P.M.

    1969-01-01

    The melting relations of FeFeS mixtures covering the composition range from Fe to Fe67S33 have been determined at 30 kb pressure. The phase relations are similar to those at low pressure. The eutectic has a composition of Fe72.9S27.1 and a temperature of 990??C. Solubility of S in Fe at elevated temperatures at 30 kb is of the same order of magnitude as at low pressure. Sulfur may have significantly lowered the melting point of iron in the upper mantle during the period of coalescence of metal prior to core formation in the primitive earth. ?? 1969.

  8. Ancient melt depletion overprinted by young carbonatitic metasomatism in the New Zealand lithospheric mantle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scott, James M.; Hodgkinson, A.; Palin, J.M.

    2014-01-01

    radiogenic than, the HIMU mantle reservoir. Metasomatism appears to pre-date ubiquitous pyroxene core to rim Al diffusion zoning, which may have resulted from cooling of the lithospheric mantle following cessation of Late Cretaceous-Eocene rifting of Zealandia from Gondwana. Nd isotope data, however, suggest...

  9. Mantle updrafts and mechanisms of oceanic volcanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Don L.; Natland, James H.

    2014-10-01

    Convection in an isolated planet is characterized by narrow downwellings and broad updrafts-consequences of Archimedes' principle, the cooling required by the second law of thermodynamics, and the effect of compression on material properties. A mature cooling planet with a conductive low-viscosity core develops a thick insulating surface boundary layer with a thermal maximum, a subadiabatic interior, and a cooling highly conductive but thin boundary layer above the core. Parts of the surface layer sink into the interior, displacing older, colder material, which is entrained by spreading ridges. Magma characteristics of intraplate volcanoes are derived from within the upper boundary layer. Upper mantle features revealed by seismic tomography and that are apparently related to surface volcanoes are intrinsically broad and are not due to unresolved narrow jets. Their morphology, aspect ratio, inferred ascent rate, and temperature show that they are passively responding to downward fluxes, as appropriate for a cooling planet that is losing more heat through its surface than is being provided from its core or from radioactive heating. Response to doward flux is the inverse of the heat-pipe/mantle-plume mode of planetary cooling. Shear-driven melt extraction from the surface boundary layer explains volcanic provinces such as Yellowstone, Hawaii, and Samoa. Passive upwellings from deeper in the upper mantle feed ridges and near-ridge hotspots, and others interact with the sheared and metasomatized surface layer. Normal plate tectonic processes are responsible both for plate boundary and intraplate swells and volcanism.

  10. Does the "mantle" helium signature provide useful information about lithospheric architecture of Tibet/Himalaya?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klemperer, S. L.; Liu, T.; Hilton, D. R.; Karlstrom, K. E.; Crossey, L. J.; Zhao, P.

    2015-12-01

    Measurements of 3He/4He > 0.1*Ra (where Ra = 3He/4He in Earth's atmosphere) in geothermal fluids are conventionally taken to represent derivation from a mantle source. 3He/4He values 0.1*Ra may still be argued to result from mantle-derived 3He previously stored in the crust. However, our growing regional database of widely spaced observations of 3He/4He > 0.1*Ra, from the Karakoram Fault in the west to the Sangri-Cona rift and Yalaxiangbo Dome in the east, and from south of the Yarlung-Zangbo suture (YZS) to north of the Banggong-Nujiang suture, makes such special pleading increasingly implausible. The observation of 3He/4He > 0.1*Ra at the YZS and even within the Tethyan Himalaya south of the YZS cannot represent melting of Indian mantle close to the Moho unless existing thermal models are grossly in error. The source of 3He close to the YZS is likely either asthenosphere accessed by faults and shear zones that cut through subducting Indian lithospheric mantle; or incipient melt of Asian lithospheric mantle at the Moho north of the northern edge of underthrust India (the "mantle suture") which must therefore lie close to the YZS. Thus far we have barely tapped the rich potential that helium-isotope data offer for understanding transit of mantle volatiles through some of Earth's thickest (and ductilely flowing) crust.

  11. Viscosity overshoot in the start-up of uniaxial elongation of low density polyethylene melts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Henrik K.; Nielsen, Jens Kromann; Bach, Anders

    2005-01-01

    The transient uniaxial elongational viscosity of BASF Lupolen 1840D and 3020D melts has been measured on a filament stretch rheometer up to Hencky strains of 6-7. The elongational viscosity of both melts was measured at 130 degrees C within a broad range of elongational rates. At high elongation ...

  12. Subduction to the lower mantle – a comparison between geodynamic and tomographic models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. W. Becker

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available It is generally believed that subduction of lithospheric slabs is a major contribution to thermal heterogeneity in Earth's entire mantle and provides a main driving force for mantle flow. Mantle structure can, on the one hand, be inferred from plate tectonic models of subduction history and geodynamic models of mantle flow. On the other hand, seismic tomography models provide important information on mantle heterogeneity. Yet, the two kinds of models are only similar on the largest (1000 s of km scales and are quite different in their detailed structure. Here, we provide a quantitative assessment how good a fit can be currently achieved with a simple viscous flow geodynamic model. The discrepancy between geodynamic and tomography models can indicate where further model refinement could possibly yield an improved fit. Our geodynamical model is based on 300 Myr of subduction history inferred from a global plate reconstruction. Density anomalies are inserted into the upper mantle beneath subduction zones, and flow and advection of these anomalies is calculated with a spherical harmonic code for a radial viscosity structure constrained by mineral physics and surface observations. Model viscosities in the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere are ~1020 Pas, and viscosity increases to ~1023 Pas in the lower mantle above D". Comparison with tomography models is assessed in terms of correlation, both overall and as a function of depth and spherical harmonic degree. We find that, compared to previous geodynamic and tomography models, correlation is improved, presumably because of advances in both plate reconstructions and mantle flow computations. However, high correlation is still limited to lowest spherical harmonic degrees. An important ingredient to achieve high correlation – in particular at spherical harmonic degree two – is a basal chemical layer. Subduction shapes this layer into two rather stable hot but chemically dense "piles

  13. Water Content in the SW USA Mantle Lithosphere: FTIR Analysis of Dish Hill and Kilbourne Hole Pyroxenites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibler, Robert; Peslier, Anne H.; Schaffer, Lillian Aurora; Brandon, Alan D.

    2014-01-01

    Kilbourne Hole (NM, USA) and Dish Hill (CA, USA) mantle xenoliths sample continental mantle in two different tectonic settings. Kilbourne Hole (KH) is located in the Rio Grande rift. Dish Hill (DH) is located in the southern Mojave province, an area potentially affected by subduction of the Farallon plate beneath North America. FTIR analyses were obtained on well characterized pyroxenite, dunite and wehrlite xenoliths, thought to represent crystallized melts at mantle depths. PUM normalized REE patterns of the KH bulk-rocks are slightly LREE enriched and consistent with those of liquids generated by 6% melting of a spinel peridotite source. Pyroxenite pyroxenes have no detectable water but one DH wehrlite, which bulk-rock is LREE enriched, has 4 ppm H2O in orthopyroxene and 2 Ga. The Farallon subduction appears to have enriched in water the southwestern United States lithospheric mantle further east than DH, beneath the Colorado plateau.

  14. Beyond low-level activity: On a 'non-radioactive' gas mantle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poljanc, Karin; Steinhauser, Georg; Sterba, Johannes H.; Buchtela, Karl; Bichler, Max

    2007-01-01

    Gas mantles for camping gas lanterns sometimes contain thorium compounds. During the last years, the use of thorium-free gas mantles has become more and more popular due to the avoidance of a radioactive heavy metal. We investigated a gas mantle type that is declared to be 'non-radioactive' and that can be bought in Austria at the moment. Methods used were Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), γ-spectroscopy, and Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC). We found massive thorium contents of up to 259 mg per gas mantle. Leaching experiments showed that only 0.4% of the Th but approximately 90% of the decay products of 232 Th can be leached under conditions simulating sucking and chewing with human saliva. In this paper, the investigation of these gas mantles including the consideration of the environmental hazard caused by disposed mantles and the health hazard for unsuspecting consumers is presented and legal consequences are discussed for this fraud

  15. Melting temperatures of MgO under high pressure determined by micro-texture observation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, T.; Ohfuji, H.; Nishi, M.; Irifune, T.

    2016-12-01

    Periclase (MgO) is the second abundant mineral after bridgmanite in the Earth's lower mantle, and its melting temperature (Tm) under pressure is important to constrain the chemical composition of ultra-deep magma formed near the mantle-core boundary. However, the melting behavior is highly controversial among previous studies: a laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LHDAC) study reported a melting curve with a dTm/dP of 30 K/GPa at zero pressure [1], while several theoretical computations gave substantially higher dTm/dP of 90 100 K/GPa [2,3]. We performed a series of LHDAC experiments for measurements of Tm of MgO under high pressure, using single crystal MgO as the starting material. The melting was detected by using micro-texture observations of the quenched samples. We found that the laser-heated area of the sample quenched from the Tm in previous LHDAC experiments [1] showed randomly aggregated granular crystals, which was not caused by melting, but by plastic deformation of the sample. This suggests that the Tms of their study were substantially underestimated. On the other hand, the sample recovered from the temperature higher by 1500-1700 K than the Tms in previous LHDAC experiments showed a characteristic internal texture comparable to the solidification texture typically shown in metal casting. We determined the Tms based on the observation of this texture up to 32 GPa. Fitting our Tms to the Simon equation yields dTm/dP of 82 K/GPa at zero pressure, which is consistent with those of the theoretical predictions (90 100 K/GPa) [2,3]. Extrapolation of the present melting curve of MgO to the pressure of the CMB (135 GPa) gives a melting temperature of 8900 K. The present steep melting slope offers the eutectic composition close to peridotite (in terms of Mg/Si ratio) throughout the lower mantle conditions. According to the model for sink/float relationship between the solid mantle and the magma [4], a considerable amount of iron (Fe/(Mg+Fe) > 0.24) is expected

  16. Geochemistry of Early Paleozoic boninites from the Central Qilian block, Northwest China: Constraints on petrogenesis and back-arc basin development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhong; Zhang, Hong-Fei; Yang, He; Luo, Bi-Ji; Guo, Liang; Xu, Wang-Chun; Pan, Fa-Bin

    2018-06-01

    Early Paleozoic boninites occur in the Central Qilian orogenic belt, Northwest China. Their petrogenesis provides insights into lithosphere process and tectonic evolution of the Qilian block. In this paper, we carry out a study of geochronological, geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions for the Early Paleozoic boninites in the Lajishan area of the Central Qilian block. The Lajishan boninites (∼483 Ma) have high Al2O3/TiO2 (36.7-64.7) and CaO/TiO2 (31.1-49.6) ratios, and high MgO (7.86-10.47 wt%), Cr (439-599 ppm) and Ni (104-130 ppm) contents, indicating that the boninites result from a refractory mantle source. They are depleted in high field-strength elements (HFSE) and enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILE), coupled with slightly high initial 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.7059-0.7074 and low εNd(t) values of -1.05 to +2.66, indicating that the mantle source was metasomatized by subducted slab-derived components. We found that an assemblage of low-Ca group and high-Ca group boninites occurred in the Lajishan belt. The high-Ca group boninites were derived from relatively fertile mantle with slightly higher melting degree, whereas the low-Ca group boninites were generated by partial melting of more refractory mantle wedge peridotites with slightly lower melting degree. The assemblage of low-Ca group and high-Ca group boninites reveals that the low-Ca group boninites were generated by the further melting of the more refractory mantle source after the segregation of the high-Ca group boninitic magmas in response to the back-arc basin opening. In the light of reported boninites worldwide, a diagram of Zr/Y vs. CaO/Al2O3 is used to identify boninites in fore-arc and back-arc regions. We suggest that the Lajishan boninites represent the products of back-arc basin development in response to the northward subduction of the Qaidam-West Qinling ocean slab.

  17. An Interconnected Network of Core-Forming Melts Produced by Shear Deformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruhn, D.; Groebner, N.; Kohlstedt, D. L.

    2000-01-01

    The formation mechanism of terrestrial planetary is still poorly understood, and has been the subject of numerous experimental studies. Several mechanisms have been proposed by which metal-mainly iron with some nickel-could have been extracted from a silicate mantle to form the core. Most recent models involve gravitational sinking of molten metal or metal sulphide through a partially or fully molten mantle that is often referred to as a'magma ocean. Alternative models invoke percolation of molten metal along an interconnected network (that is, porous flow) through a solid silicate matrix. But experimental studies performed at high pressures have shown that, under hydrostatic conditions, these melts do not form an interconnected network, leading to the widespread assumption that formation of metallic cores requires a magma ocean. In contrast, here we present experiments which demonstrate that shear deformation to large strains can interconnect a significant fraction of initially isolated pockets of metal and metal sulphide melts in a solid matrix of polycrystalline olivine. Therefore, in a dynamic (nonhydrostatic) environment, percolation remains a viable mechanism for the segregation and migration of core-forming melts in a solid silicate mantle.

  18. Geochemical evidence for the melting of subducting oceanic lithosphere at plate edges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yogodzinski, G. M.; Lees, J. M.; Churikova, T. G.; Dorendorf, F.; Wöerner, G.; Volynets, O. N.

    2001-01-01

    Most island-arc magmatism appears to result from the lowering of the melting point of peridotite within the wedge of mantle above subducting slabs owing to the introduction of fluids from the dehydration of subducting oceanic crust. Volcanic rocks interpreted to contain a component of melt (not just a fluid) from the subducting slab itself are uncommon, but possible examples have been recognized in the Aleutian islands, Baja California, Patagonia and elsewhere. The geochemically distinctive rocks from these areas, termed `adakites', are often associated with subducting plates that are young and warm, and therefore thought to be more prone to melting. But the subducting lithosphere in some adakite locations (such as the Aleutian islands) appears to be too old and hence too cold to melt. This implies either that our interpretation of adakite geochemistry is incorrect, or that our understanding of the tectonic context of adakites is incomplete. Here we present geochemical data from the Kamchatka peninsula and the Aleutian islands that reaffirms the slab-melt interpretation of adakites, but in the tectonic context of the exposure to mantle flow around the edge of a torn subducting plate. We conclude that adakites are likely to form whenever the edge of a subducting plate is warmed or ablated by mantle flow. The use of adakites as tracers for such plate geometry may improve our understanding of magma genesis and thermal structure in a variety of subduction-zone environments.

  19. Geoelectromagnetic investigation of the earth’s crust and mantle

    CERN Document Server

    Rokityansky, Igor I

    1982-01-01

    Electrical conductivity is a parameter which characterizes composition and physical state of the Earth's interior. Studies of the state equations of solids at high temperature and pressure indicate that there is a close relation be­ tween the electrical conductivity of rocks and temperature. Therefore, measurements of deep conductivity can provide knowledge of the present state and temperature of the Earth's crust and upper mantle matter. Infor­ mation about the temperature of the Earth's interior in the remote past is derived from heat flow data. Experimental investigation of water-containing rocks has revealed a pronounced increase of electrical conductivity in the temperature range D from 500 to 700 DC which may be attributed to the beginning of fractional melting. Hence, anomalies of electrical conductivity may be helpful in identitying zones of melting and dehydration. The studies of these zones are perspective in the scientific research of the mobile areas of the Earth's crust and upper mantle where t...

  20. Influence of mantle viscosity structure and mineral grain size on fluid migration pathways in the mantle wedge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerpa, N. G.; Wada, I.; Wilson, C. R.; Spiegelman, M. W.

    2016-12-01

    We develop a 2D numerical porous flow model that incorporates both grain size distribution and matrix compaction to explore the fluid migration (FM) pathways in the mantle wedge. Melt generation for arc volcanism is thought to be triggered by slab-derived fluids that migrate into the hot overlying mantle and reduce its melting temperature. While the narrow location of the arcs relative to the top of the slab ( 100±30 km) is a robust observation, the release of fluids is predicted to occur over a wide range of depth. Reconciling such observations and predictions remains a challenge for the geodynamic community. Fluid transport by porous flow depends on the permeability of the medium which in turn depends on fluid fraction and mineral grain size. The grain size distribution in the mantle wedge predicted by laboratory derived laws was found to be a possible mechanism to focusing of fluids beneath the arcs [Wada and Behn, 2015]. The viscous resistance of the matrix to the volumetric strain generates compaction pressure that affects fluid flow and can also focus fluids towards the arc [Wilson et al, 2014]. We thus have developed a 2D one-way coupled Darcy's-Stokes flow model (solid flow independent of fluid flow) for the mantle wedge that combines both effects. For the solid flow calculation, we use a kinematic-dynamic approach where the system is driven by the prescribed slab velocity. The solid rheology accounts for both dislocation and diffusion creep and we calculate the grain size distribution following Wada and Behn [2015]. In our fluid flow model, the permeability of the medium is grain size dependent and the matrix bulk viscosity depends on solid shear viscosity and fluid fraction. The fluid influx from the slab is imposed as a boundary condition at the base of the mantle wedge. We solve the discretized governing equations using the software package TerraFERMA. Applying a range of model parameter values, including slab age, slab dip, subduction rate, and fluid

  1. Trace element distribution in peridotite xenoliths from Tok, SE Siberian craton: A record of pervasive, multi-stage metasomatism in shallow refractory mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ionov, Dmitri A.; Chazot, Gilles; Chauvel, Catherine; Merlet, Claude; Bodinier, Jean-Louis

    2006-03-01

    Spinel peridotite xenoliths in alkali basalts at Tok, SE Siberian craton range from fertile lherzolites to harzburgites and wehrlites; olivine-rich (70-84%) rocks are dominant. REE patterns in the lherzolites range from nearly flat for fertile rocks (14-17% cpx) to LREE-enriched; the enrichments are positively correlated with modal olivine, consistent with high-permeability of olivine-rich rocks during melt percolation. Clinopyroxene in olivine-rich Tok peridotites typically has convex-upward trace element patterns (La/Nd PM 1); the LREE-enrichments are positively correlated with phosphorus abundances and are mainly hosted by accessory phosphates and P-rich cryptocrystalline materials. In addition to apatite, some Tok xenoliths contain whitlockite (an anhydrous, halogen-poor and Na-Mg-rich phosphate), which is common in meteorites and lunar rocks, but has not been reported from any terrestrial mantle samples. Some olivine-rich peridotites have generations of clinopyroxene with distinct abundances of Na, LREE, Sr and Zr. The mineralogical and trace element data indicate that the lithospheric mantle section represented by the xenoliths experienced a large-scale metasomatic event produced by upward migration of mafic silicate melts followed by percolation of low- T, alkali-rich melts and fluids. Chromatographic fractionation and fractional crystallisation of the melts close to the percolation front produced strong LREE-enrichments, which are most common in the uppermost mantle and are related to carbonate- and P 2O 5-rich derivatives of the initial melt. Reversal and gradual retreat of the percolation front during thermal relaxation to ambient geotherm ("retrograde" metasomatism) caused local migration and entrapment of small-volume residual fluids and precipitation of volatile-rich accessory minerals. A distinct metasomatic episode, which mainly produced "anhydrous" late-stage interstitial materials was concomitant with the alkali basaltic magmatism, which brought

  2. Characterizing the nature of melt-rock reaction in peridotites from the Santa Elena Ophiolite, NW Costa Rica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, D.; Loocke, M. P.; Snow, J. E.; Gazel, E.

    2017-12-01

    The Santa Elena Ophiolite (SEO), located on the northwestern coast of Costa Rica, consists primarily of preserved oceanic mantle and crustal rocks thrust above an accretionary complex. The SEO is predominantly characterized by mantle peridotites (i.e., primarily spinel lherzolite with minor amounts of harzburgite and dunite) cut and intruded by minor pegmatitic gabbros, layered gabbros, plagiogranites, and doleritic and basaltic dykes. Previous studies have concluded that the complex formed in a suprasubduction zone (SSZ) setting based on the geochemical nature of the layered gabbros and plagiogranites (i.e., depleted LREE and HFSE and enriched LILE and Pb), as well, as the peridotites (i.e., low-TiO2, Zr, and V, and high MgO, Cr, and Ni)(Denyer and Gazel, 2009). Eighteen ultramafic samples collected during the winter 2010/2011 field season (SECR11) exhibit abundant evidence for melt-rock reaction (e.g., disseminated plagioclase and plagioclase-spinel, clinopyroxene-spinel, and plagioclase-clinopyroxene symplectites) and provide a unique opportunity to characterize the textural and chemical nature of melt-rock reaction in the SEO. We present the results of a petrologic investigation (i.e., petrography and electron probe microanalysis) of 28 thin sections (19 spinel lherzolites, of which 14 are plagioclase-bearing, 4 pyroxenite veins, and 5 harzburgites) derived from the SECR11 sample set. The results of this investigation have the potential to better our understanding of the nature of melt generation and migration and melt-rock interaction in the SEO mantle section and shed further light on the complex petrogenetic history of the SEO. Denyer, P., Gazel, E., 2009, Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 28:429-442.

  3. Executive Summary: “Mantle Frontier” Workshop

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Workshop Report Writing Group

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The workshop on “Reaching the Mantle Frontier: Moho and Beyond” was held at the Broad Branch Road Campus of the Carnegie Institution of Washington on 9–11 September 2010. The workshop attracted seventy-four scientists and engineers from academia and industry in North America, Asia, and Europe.Reaching and sampling the mantle through penetration of the entire oceanic crust and the Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho has been a longstanding goal of the Earth science community. The Moho is a seismic transition, often sharp, from a region with compressional wave velocities (Vp less than 7.5 km s-1 to velocities ~8 km s-1. It is interpreted in many tectonic settings, and particularly in tectonic exposures of oceanic lower crust, as the transition from igneous crust to mantle rocks that are the residues of melt extraction. Revealing the in situ geological meaning of the Moho is the heart of the Mohole project. Documenting ocean-crust exchanges and the nature and extent of the subseafloor biosphere have also become integral components of the endeavor. The purpose of the “Mantle Frontier” workshop was to identify key scientific objectives associated with innovative technology solutions along with associated timelines and costs for developments and implementation of this grandchallenge.

  4. Slab-derived components in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath Chilean Patagonia: Geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes of mantle xenoliths and host basalt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalowitzki, Tiago; Gervasoni, Fernanda; Conceição, Rommulo V.; Orihashi, Yuji; Bertotto, Gustavo W.; Sumino, Hirochika; Schilling, Manuel E.; Nagao, Keisuke; Morata, Diego; Sylvester, Paul

    2017-11-01

    modified oceanic crust throughout the initial stages of the Farallón-Aluk ridge collision during Paleocene to Eocene time. However, based on the tectonic evolution of southern South America, we cannot exclude the influence of long-lived subduction events beneath south Patagonia. Although we believe that the studied samples were brought to the surface in this geodynamic context, there is no evidence that ocean island basalt (OIB)-like melts related to the Farallón-Aluk asthenospheric slab window affected the peridotite composition. The host alkaline basalt is a single unit with a HIMU-like OIB signature characterized by marked positive Nb-Ta anomalies coupled with negative anomalies in highly incompatible and fluid-mobile elements (Rb, K, Pb, and Sr). The compositional similarity between the HIMU-like OIB mantle source and the host basalt is also evident from trace element ratios [(Ba-Th-K-La-Zr)/Nb] as well as by the low 87Sr/86Sri (0.703039-0.703058) and relatively high 143Nd/144Ndi (0.512880-0.512874) and 206Pb/204Pb (19.333-19.389) isotopic ratios. The low 206Pb/204Pb ratios compared to end-member HIMU lavas (e.g., Sta. Helena and the Cook-Austral Islands) suggest that this region was modified by processes associated with a prolonged period of subduction related to the Andean orogenesis and the recycling of several oceanic plates beneath the continent, following the Mesozoic breakup of Gondwana or an even older subduction-related event with young recycling ages (< 2 Ga).

  5. Improvement in melting and baking properties of low-fat Mozzarella cheese.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadhwani, R; McManus, W R; McMahon, D J

    2011-04-01

    Low-fat cheeses dehydrate too quickly when baked in a forced air convection oven, preventing proper melting on a pizza. To overcome this problem, low-fat Mozzarella cheese was developed in which fat is released onto the cheese surface during baking to prevent excessive dehydration. Low-fat Mozzarella cheese curd was made with target fat contents of 15, 30, 45, and 60 g/kg using direct acidification of the milk to pH 5.9 before renneting. The 4 portions of cheese curd were comminuted and then mixed with sufficient glucono-δ-lactone and melted butter (45, 30, 15, or 0 g/kg, respectively), then pressed into blocks to produce low-fat Mozzarella cheese with about 6% fat and pH 5.2. The cheeses were analyzed after 15, 30, 60, and 120 d of storage at 5°C for melting characteristics, texture, free oil content, dehydration performance, and stretch when baked on a pizza at 250°C for 6 min in a convection oven. Cheeses made with added butter had higher stretchability compared with the control cheese. Melting characteristics also improved in contrast to the control cheese, which remained in the form of shreds during baking and lacked proper melting. The cheeses made with added butter had higher free oil content, which correlated (R2≥0.92) to the amount of butterfat added, and less hardness and gumminess compared with the control low fat cheese. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Oceanic magmatic evolution during ocean opening under influence of mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sushchevskaya, Nadezhda; Melanholina, Elena; Belyatsky, Boris; Krymsky, Robert; Migdisova, Natalya

    2015-04-01

    Petrology, geochemistry and geophysics as well as numerical simulation of spreading processes in plume impact environments on examples of Atlantic Ocean Iceland and the Central Atlantic plumes and Kerguelen plume in the Indian Ocean reveal: - under interaction of large plume and continental landmass the plume can contribute to splitting off individual lithosphere blocks, and their subsequent movement into the emergent ocean. At the same time enriched plume components often have geochemical characteristics of the intact continental lithosphere by early plume exposure. This is typical for trap magmatism in Antarctica, and for magmatism of North and Central Atlantic margins; - in the course of the geodynamic reconstruction under the whole region of the South Atlantic was formed (not in one step) metasomatized enriched sub-oceanic mantle with pyroxenite mantle geochemical characteristics and isotopic composition of enriched HIMU and EM-2 sources. That is typical for most of the islands in the West Antarctic. This mantle through spreading axes jumping involved in different proportions in the melting under the influence of higher-temperature rising asthenospheric lherzolite mantle; - CAP activity was brief enough (200 ± 2 Ma), but Karoo-Maud plume worked for a longer time and continued from 180 to 170 Ma ago in the main phase. Plume impact within Antarctica distributed to the South and to the East, leading to the formation of extended igneous provinces along the Transantarctic Mountains and along the east coast (Queen Maud Land province and Schirmacher Oasis). Moreover, this plume activity may be continued later on, after about 40 million years cessation, as Kerguelen plume within the newly-formed Indian Ocean, significantly affects the nature of the rift magmatism; - a large extended uplift in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean - Southeastern Indian Ridge (SEIR) was formed on the ancient spreading Wharton ridge near active Kerguelen plume. The strongest plume

  7. CO2-SO3-rich (carbonate-sulfate) melt/fluids in the lithosphere beneath El Hierro, Canary Islands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oglialoro, E.; Ferrando, S.; Malaspina, N.; Villa, I. M.; Frezzotti, M. L.

    2015-12-01

    Mantle xenoliths from the island of El Hierro, the youngest of the Canary Islands, have been studied to characterize fluxes of carbon in the lithosphere of an OIB volcanism region. Fifteen xenoliths (4-10 cm in diameter) were collected in a rift lava flow (15-41 ka) at a new xenolith locality in El Julan cliff (S-SW of the island). Peridotites consist of protogranular to porphyroblastic spinel harzburgites, lherzolites, and subordinate dunites. One spinel clinopyroxenite, and one olivine-websterite were also analyzed. Ultramafic xenoliths were classified as HEXO (harzburgite and dunite with exsolved orthopyroxene), HLCO (harzburgite and lherzolite containing orthopyroxene without visible exsolution lamellae), and HTR (transitional harzburgite with exsolved orthopyroxene porphyroclasts, and poikilitic orthopyroxene) following [1]. While HLCO and HTR peridotites contain mostly CO2 fluid inclusions, HEXO peridotites preserve an early association of melt/fluid inclusions containing dominantly carbonate/sulfate/silicate glass, evolving to carbonate/sulfate/phosphate/spinel aggregates, with exsolved CO2 (± carbonates, anhydrite and H2O). Chemical and Raman analyses identify dolomite, Mg-calcite, anhydrite, sulfohalite [Na6(SO4)2FCl] (± other anhydrous and hydrous alkali-sulfates), apatite, and Cr-spinel in the inclusions. Sulfides are noticeably absent. The microstructure and chemical composition of the metasomatic fluids indicate that the peridotites were infiltrated by a carbonate-sulfate-silicate melt/fluid enriched in CO2, H2O, and P. A mantle origin for this fluid is supported by high densities of CO2inclusions (> 1g/cm3), determined by Raman microspectroscopy and cross-checked by microthermometry. Consequently, El Julan peridotites provide the first evidence for liberating oxidized C and S fluxes from the Earth lithosphere in an OIB source region, and suggest that oxidation of sulfide to sulfate can occur during small-degree partial melting of the upper mantle

  8. Ps mantle transition zone imaging beneath the Colorado Rocky Mountains: Evidence for an upwelling hydrous mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhu; Dueker, Kenneth G.; Huang, Hsin-Hua

    2018-06-01

    We analyze teleseismic P-to-S conversions for high-resolution imaging of the mantle transition zone beneath the Colorado Rocky Mountains using data from a dense PASSCAL seismic broadband deployment. A total of 6,021 P-to-S converted receiver functions are constructed using a multi-channel minimum-phase deconvolution method and migrated using the common converted point technique with the 3-D teleseismic P- and S-wave tomography models of Schmandt and Humphreys (2010). The image finds that the average depths of the 410-km discontinuity (the 410) and 660-km discontinuity (the 660) at 408 ± 1.9 km and 649 ± 1.6 km respectively. The peak-to-peak topography of both discontinuities is 33 km and 27 km respectively. Additionally, prominent negative polarity phases are imaged both above and below the 410. To quantify the mean properties of the low-velocity layers about 410 km, we utilize double gradient layer models parameterization to fit the mean receiver function waveform. This waveform fitting is accomplished as a grid-search using anelastic synthetic seismograms. The best-fitting model reveals that the olivine-wadsleyite phase transformation width is 21 km, which is significantly larger than anhydrous mineral physics prediction (4-10 km) (Smyth and Frost, 2002). The findings of a wide olivine-wadsleyite phase transformation and the negative polarity phases above and below the 410, suggest that the mantle, at least in the 350-450 km depth range, is significantly hydrated. Furthermore, a conspicuous negative polarity phase below the 660 is imaged in high velocity region, we speculate the low velocity layer is due to dehydration flux melting in an area of convective downwelling. Our interpretation of these results, in tandem with the tomographic image of a Farallon slab segment at 800 km beneath the region (Schmandt and Humphreys, 2010), is that hydrous and upwelling mantle contributes to the high-standing Colorado Rocky Mountains.

  9. Re - Os isotopic constraints on the origin of volcanic rocks, Gorgona Island, Colombia: Os isotopic evidence for ancient heterogeneities in the mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, R.J.; Echeverria, L.M.; Shirey, S.B.; Horan, M.F.

    1991-01-01

    The Re - Os isotopic systematics of komatiites and spatially associated basalts from Gorgona Island, Colombia, indicate that they were produced at 155??43 Ma. Subsequent episodes of volcanism produced basalts at 88.1??3.8 Ma and picritic and basaltic lavas at ca. 58 Ma. The age for the ultramafic rocks is important because it coincides with the late-Jurassic, early-Cretaceous disassembly of Pangea, when the North- and South-American plates began to pull apart. Deep-seated mantle upwelling possibly precipitated the break-up of these continental plates and caused a tear in the subducting slab west of Gorgona, providing a rare, late-Phanerozoic conduit for the komatiitic melts. Mantle sources for the komatiites were heterogeneous with respect to Os and Pb isotopic compositions, but had homogeneous Nd isotopic compositions (??Nd+9??1). Initial 187Os/186Os normalized to carbonaceous chondrites at 155 Ma (??Os) ranged from 0 to +22, and model-initial ?? values ranged from 8.17 to 8.39. The excess radiogenic Os, compared with an assumed bulk-mantle evolution similar to carbonaceous chondrites, was likely produced in portions of the mantle with long-term elevated Re concentrations. The Os, Pb and Nd isotopic compositions, together with major-element constraints, suggest that the sources of the komatiites were enriched more than 1 Ga ago by low (<20%) and variable amounts of a basalt or komatiite component. This component was added as either subducted oceanic crust or melt derived from greater depths in the mantle. These results suggest that the Re - Os isotope system may be a highly sensitive indicator of the presence of ancient subducted oceanic crust in mantle-source regions. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag.

  10. Evidence for a Meteoritic Component in Impact Melt Rock from the Chicxulub Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koeberl, Christian; Sharpton, Virgil L.; Schuraytz, Benjamin C.; Shirey, Steven B.; Blum, Joel D.; Marin, Luis E.

    1994-01-01

    The Chicxulub structure in Yucatan, Mexico, has recently been recognized as a greater then 200-km-diameter multi-ring impact crater of K-T boundary age. Crystalline impact melt rocks and breccias from within the crater, which have compositions similar to those of normal continental crustal rocks and which show shock metamorphic effects, have been studied for trace element and Re-Os isotope compositions. Re-Os isotope systematics allow the sensitive and selective determination of an extraterrestrial component in impact-derived rocks. A melt rock sample shows elevated iridium concentrations, an osmium concentration of 25 ppb, and a low Os-187/Os-188 ratio of 0.113, which are incompatible with derivation from the continental crust. Even though the Os-187/Os-188 ratio is slightly lower than the range so far measured in meteorites, a mantle origin seems unlikely for mass balance reasons and because the cratering event is unlikely to have excavated mantle material. The data support the hypothesis of a heterogeneously distributed meteoritic component in the Chicxulub melt rock. A sample of impact glass from the Haitian K-T boundary at Beloc yielded about 0.1 ppb osmium and an Os-187/0s-188 ratio of 0.251, indicating the presence of a small meteoritic component in the impact ejecta as well.

  11. A Late Mesozoic short-lived shift from fluid-dominated to sediment-dominated mantle metasomatism in the northeast South China Block and its tectonic implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Fa-Bin; Jin, Chong; Jia, Bao-Jian; Liu, Rong; He, Xiaobo; Gao, Zhong; Tao, Lu; Zhou, Xiao-Chun; Zhang, Li-Qi

    2018-06-01

    Early Cretaceous northwest (NW)-trending dolerite and amphibole lamprophyre dykes exposed in NW Zhejiang Province provide a number of new insights into the nature of the subcontinental mantle on the northeast (NE) South China Block (SCB). These dykes have a high Al2O3 (14.04-17.89 wt%) and K2O (0.66-2.69 wt%) contents but relatively low Na2O (2.48-4.61 wt%) and TiO2 (1.33-2.79 wt%) makeup alongside moderate K2O/Na2O ratios between 0.26 and 1.04. These amphibole lamprophyre dykes also have higher MgO, Cr, and Ni contents than those of comparable dolerites that have SiO2 content ranging from 46.32 to 49.87 wt%. The most striking feature of these intrusions is that they contain higher contents of Rb, Th, U, Nb, Ta, and LREE compared to their dolerite counterparts, although both amphibole lamprophyres and dolerites do exhibit similar geochemical patterns that are indicative of subduction-related origins. These features imply that an ambient peridotitic mantle that acted as the source for the amphibole lamprophyre magma source may have reacted with silicate-rich melts leading to olivine consumption while maintaining orthopyroxene. The geochemical composition of these dolerites are likely influenced to a variable extent by the fractionation of olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, Fe-Ti oxides, and apatite, while their amphibole lamprophyre counterparts have been modified to a minor degree by amphibole fractionation. Measured Sr-Nd isotopic compositions suggest relatively constant Nd isotopic compositions (-0.36 to +1.52) with more variable Sr isotopic compositions (0.7071 to 0.7306). We hence propose that both the dolerite and amphibole lamprophyre dykes in this region are the products of mantle source metasomatism by the subducted Paleo-Pacific slab. The dolerite dykes are mainly associated with slab-derived fluids, while the lamprophyre dykes are related to both slab-derived fluids and sediment melts. Evidence in support of metasomatism comprising distinct two

  12. Preservation of an Archaean whole rock Re-Os isochron for the Venetia lithospheric mantle: Evidence for rapid crustal recycling and lithosphere stabilisation at 3.3 Ga

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Meer, Quinten H. A.; Klaver, Martijn; Reisberg, Laurie; Riches, Amy J. V.; Davies, Gareth R.

    2017-11-01

    Re-Os and platinum group element analyses are reported for peridotite xenoliths from the 533 Ma Venetia kimberlite cluster situated in the Limpopo Mobile Belt, the Neoarchaean collision zone between the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons. The Venetian xenoliths provide a rare opportunity to examine the state of the cratonic lithosphere prior to major regional metasomatic disturbance of Re-Os systematics throughout the Phanerozoic. The 32 studied xenoliths record Si-enrichment that is characteristic of the Kaapvaal lithospheric mantle and can be subdivided into five groups based on Re-Os analyses. The most pristine group I samples (n = 13) display an approximately isochronous relationship and fall on a 3.28 ± 0.17 Ga (95 % conf. int.) reference line that is based on their mean TMA age. This age overlaps with the formation age of the Limpopo crust at 3.35-3.28 Ga. The group I samples derive from ∼50 to ∼170 km depth, suggesting coeval melt depletion of the majority of the Venetia lithospheric mantle column. Group II and III samples have elevated Re/Os due to Re addition during kimberlite magmatism. Group II has otherwise undergone a similar evolution as the group I samples with overlapping 187Os/188Os at eruption age: 187Os/188OsEA, while group III samples have low Os concentrations, unradiogenic 187Os/188OsEA and were effectively Re-free prior to kimberlite magmatism. The other sample groups (IV and V) have disturbed Re-Os systematics and provide no reliable age information. A strong positive correlation is recorded between Os and Re concentrations for group I samples, which is extended to groups II and III after correction for kimberlite addition. This positive correlation precludes a single stage melt depletion history and indicates coupled remobilisation of Re and Os. The combination of Re-Os mobility, preservation of the isochronous relationship, correlation of 187Os/188Os with degree of melt depletion and lack of radiogenic Os addition puts tight constraints on

  13. Orthopyroxene-enrichment in the lherzolite-websterite xenolith suite from Paleogene alkali basalts of the Poiana Ruscă Mountains (Romania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nédli Zsuzsanna

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we present the petrography and geochemistry of a recently collected lherzolite-websterite xenolith series and of clinopyroxene xenocrysts, hosted in Upper Cretaceous–Paleogene basanites of Poiana Ruscă (Romania, whose xenoliths show notable orthopyroxene-enrichment. In the series a slightly deformed porphyroclastic-equigranular textured series could represent the early mantle characteristics, and in many cases notable orthopyroxene growth and poikilitic texture formation was observed. The most abundant mantle lithology, Type A xenoliths have high Al and Na-contents but low mg# of the pyroxenes and low cr# of spinel suggesting a low degree (< 10 % of mafic melt removal. They are also generally poor in overall REE-s (rare earth elements and have flat REY (rare earth elements+ Y patterns with slight LREE-depletion. The geochemistry of the Type A xenoliths and calculated melt composition in equilibrium with the xenolith clinopyroxenes suggests that the percolating melt causing the poikilitization can be linked to a mafic, Al-Na-rich, volatile-poor melt and show similarity with the Late Cretaceous–Paleogene (66–72 Ma subduction-related andesitic magmatism of Poiana Ruscă. Type B xenoliths, with their slightly different chemistry, suggest that, after the ancient depletion, the mantle went through a slight metasomatic event. A subsequent passage of mafic melts in the mantle, with similar compositions to the older andesitic magmatism of Poiana Ruscă, is recorded in the pyroxenites (Fe-rich xenoliths, whereas the megacrysts seem to be cogenetic with the host basanite. The Poiana Ruscă xenoliths differ from the orthopyroxene-enriched mantle xenoliths described previously from the Carpathian-Pannonian Region and from the Dacia block.

  14. Formal treatment of some low-temperature properties of melting solid helium-3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldstein, L.

    1979-01-01

    Recent observations of the low-field-strength paramagnetic susceptibility of melting solid 3 He indicate its Curie--Weiss-type behavior at temperatures T> or approx. =5 mK. These require an identical temperature behavior of the magnetic melting-pressure shift over the same temperature range. Melting-pressure-shift measurements should thus independently confirm the observed temperature behavior of the susceptibility and yield, in addition, the curie constant of melting solid 3 He. Using the theoretical value of this constant in the low- or moderate-field-strength melting-pressure-shift formula, the calculated shifts appear to be currently accessible to measurements with acceptable accuracy at T> or approx. =5 mK. The inverse problem of determination of the paramagnetic moment or magnetization of melting solid 3 He from melting-pressure shifts may be solved on the basis of a differential magnetothermodynamic relation without significant limitations on the applied external magnetic field strength or on the temperature range. Helium-3 melting-pressure and temperature measurements in the presence of a constant and uniform magnetic field of known strength should enable, within the above formalism, the determination of the magnetic phase diagram of solid 3 He at melting down to the lowest experimentally accessible temperatures. This approach may supplement other independent methods of magnetic phase-boundary-line determinations of solid 3 He

  15. Light Stable Isotopic Compositions of Enriched Mantle Sources: Resolving the Dehydration Paradox

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, J. E.; Bindeman, I. N.; Kingsley, R. H.

    2017-12-01

    An outstanding puzzle in mantle geochemistry has been the origin and evolution of Earth's volatile components. The "dehydration paradox" refers to the following conundrum. Mantle compositions for some enriched mid-ocean ridge (MORB) and ocean island (OIB) basalts basalts require involvement of a mostly dehydrated slab component to explain the trace element ratios and radiogenic isotopic compositions, but a fully hydrated slab component to explain the stable isotopic compositions. Volatile and stable isotopic data on enriched MORB show a diversity of enriched components. Pacific PREMA-type basalts (H2O/Ce = 215 ± 30, δDSMOW = -45 ± 5 ‰) are similar to those in the north Atlantic (H2O/Ce = 220 ± 30; δDSMOW = -30 to -40 ‰). Basalts with EM-type signatures have regionally variable volatile compositions. North Atlantic EM-type basalts are wetter (H2O/Ce = 330 ± 30) and have isotopically heavier hydrogen (δDSMOW = -57 ± 5 ‰) than north Atlantic MORB. South Atlantic EM-type basalts are damp (H2O/Ce = 120 ± 10) with intermediate δDSMOW (-68 ± 2 ‰), similar to dDSMOW for Pacific MORB. North EPR EM-type basalts are dry (H2O/Ce = 110 ± 20) and isotopically light (δDSMOW = -94 ± 3 ‰). Boron and lithium isotopic ratios parallel the trends observed for dDSMOW. A multi-stage metasomatic and melting model accounts for the origin of the enriched components by extending the subduction factory concept down through the mantle transition zone, with slab temperature a key variable. The dehydration paradox is resolved by decoupling of volatiles from lithophile elements, reflecting primary dehydration of the slab followed by secondary rehydration and re-equilibration by fluids derived from subcrustal hydrous phases (e.g., antigorite) in cooler, deeper parts of the slab. The "expanded subduction factory" model includes melting at several key depths, including 1) 180 to 280 km, where EM-type mantle compositions are generated above slabs with average to hot thermal

  16. Plate Tectonic Cycling and Whole Mantle Convection Modulate Earth's 3He/22Ne Ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dygert, N. J.; Jackson, C.; Hesse, M. A.; Tremblay, M. M.; Shuster, D. L.; Gu, J.

    2016-12-01

    3He and 22Ne are not produced in the mantle or fractionated by partial melting, and neither isotope is recycled back into the mantle by subduction of oceanic basalt or sediment. Thus, it is a surprise that large 3He/22Ne variations exist within the mantle and that the mantle has a net elevated 3He/22Ne ratio compared to volatile-rich planetary precursor materials. Depleted subcontinental lithospheric mantle and mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle have distinctly higher 3He/22Ne compared to ocean island basalt (OIB) sources ( 4-12.5 vs. 2.5-4.5, respectively) [1,2]. The low 3He/22Ne of OIBs approaches chondritic ( 1) and solar nebula values ( 1.5). The high 3He/22Ne of the MORB mantle is not similar to solar sources or any known family of meteorites, requiring a mechanism for fractionating He from Ne in the mantle and suggesting isolation of distinct mantle reservoirs throughout geologic time. We model the formation of a MORB source with elevated and variable 3He/22Ne though diffusive exchange between dunite channel-hosted basaltic liquids and harzburgite wallrock beneath mid-ocean ridges. Over timescales relevant to mantle upwelling beneath spreading centers, He may diffuse tens to hundreds of meters into wallrock while Ne is relatively immobile, producing a regassed, depleted mantle lithosphere with elevated 3He/22Ne. Subduction of high 3He/22Ne mantle would generate a MORB source with high 3He/22Ne. Regassed, high 3He/22Ne mantle lithosphere has He concentrations 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than undegassed mantle. To preserve the large volumes of high 3He/22Ne mantle required by the MORB source, mixing between subducted and undegassed mantle reservoirs must have been limited throughout geologic time. Using the new 3He/22Ne constraints, we ran a model similar to [3] to quantify mantle mixing timescales, finding they are on the order of Gyr assuming physically reasonable seafloor spreading rates, and that Earth's convecting mantle has lost >99% of its primordial

  17. Seismic structure of the lithosphere beneath NW Namibia: Impact of the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Xiaohui; Heit, Benjamin; Brune, Sascha; Steinberger, Bernhard; Geissler, Wolfram H.; Jokat, Wilfried; Weber, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Northwestern Namibia, at the landfall of the Walvis Ridge, was affected by the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume during continental rupture between Africa and South America, as evidenced by the presence of the Etendeka continental flood basalts. Here we use data from a passive-source seismological network to investigate the upper mantle structure and to elucidate the Cretaceous mantle plume-lithosphere interaction. Receiver functions reveal an interface associated with a negative velocity contrast within the lithosphere at an average depth of 80 km. We interpret this interface as the relic of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) formed during the Mesozoic by interaction of the Tristan da Cunha plume head with the pre-existing lithosphere. The velocity contrast might be explained by stagnated and "frozen" melts beneath an intensively depleted and dehydrated peridotitic mantle. The present-day LAB is poorly visible with converted waves, indicating a gradual impedance contrast. Beneath much of the study area, converted phases of the 410 and 660 km mantle transition zone discontinuities arrive 1.5 s earlier than in the landward plume-unaffected continental interior, suggesting high velocities in the upper mantle caused by a thick lithosphere. This indicates that after lithospheric thinning during continental breakup, the lithosphere has increased in thickness during the last 132 Myr. Thermal cooling of the continental lithosphere alone cannot produce the lithospheric thickness required here. We propose that the remnant plume material, which has a higher seismic velocity than the ambient mantle due to melt depletion and dehydration, significantly contributed to the thickening of the mantle lithosphere.

  18. Mantle depletion and metasomatism recorded in orthopyroxene in highly depleted peridotites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scott, James; Liu, Jingao; Pearson, D. Graham

    2016-01-01

    Although trace element concentrations in clinopyroxene serve as a useful tool for assessing the depletion and enrichment history of mantle peridotites, this is not applicable for peridotites in which the clinopyroxene component has been consumed (~ 25% partial melting). Orthopyroxene persists in ...

  19. Effects of low-pressure igneous processes and subduction on Fe3+/ΣFe and redox state of mantle eclogites from Lace (Kaapvaal craton)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aulbach, S.; Woodland, A. B.; Vasilyev, P.; Galvez, M. E.; Viljoen, K. S.

    2017-09-01

    Reconstructing the redox state of the mantle is critical in discussing the evolution of atmospheric composition through time. Kimberlite-borne mantle eclogite xenoliths, commonly interpreted as representing former oceanic crust, may record the chemical and physical state of Archaean and Proterozoic convecting mantle sources that generated their magmatic protoliths. However, their message is generally obscured by a range of primary (igneous differentiation) and secondary processes (seawater alteration, metamorphism, metasomatism). Here, we report the Fe3+/ΣFe ratio and δ18 O in garnet from in a suite of well-characterised mantle eclogite and pyroxenite xenoliths hosted in the Lace kimberlite (Kaapvaal craton), which originated as ca. 3 Ga-old ocean floor. Fe3+/ΣFe in garnet (0.01 to 0.063, median 0.02; n = 16) shows a negative correlation with jadeite content in clinopyroxene, suggesting increased partitioning of Fe3+ into clinopyroxene in the presence of monovalent cations with which it can form coupled substitutions. Jadeite-corrected Fe3+/ΣFe in garnet shows a broad negative trend with Eu*, consistent with incompatible behaviour of Fe3+ during olivine-plagioclase accumulation in the protoliths. This trend is partially obscured by increasing Fe3+ partitioning into garnet along a conductive cratonic geotherm. In contrast, NMORB-normalised Nd/Yb - a proxy of partial melt loss from subducting oceanic crust (1) - shows no obvious correlation with Fe3+/ΣFe, nor does garnet δ18OVSMOW (5.14 to 6.21‰) point to significant seawater alteration. Median bulk-rock Fe3+/ΣFe is roughly estimated at 0.025. This observation agrees with V/Sc systematics, which collectively point to a reduced Archaean convecting mantle source to the igneous protoliths of these eclogites compared to the modern MORB source. Oxygen fugacites (fO2) relative to the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer (FMQ) range from Δlog ⁡ fO2 = FMQ-1.3 to FMQ-4.6. At those reducing conditions, the solubility

  20. Zinc Isotopes as Tracers of Crust-Mantle Interactions and Mineralization Processes in Layered Intrusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Day, J. M.; Moynier, F.

    2016-12-01

    Zinc isotopes are a powerful tool for studying igneous processes and may be useful for distinguishing between mantle or crustal origins for mineralization and for examining crystallization processes. Restricted ranges in δ66Zn for mantle-derived rocks (δ66Zn = 0.28±0.05‰; [{66Zn/64Znsample/66Zn/64ZnJMC-Lyon-1} × 1000] all uncertainties reported are 2SD) contrast the large δ66Zn variations in sedimentary rocks ( 0 to 1‰), or in volcanic and sedimentary hosted ore deposits (e.g., SEDEX; VHMS; MVT = -0.6 to 1.3‰). Here, we use Zn isotopes to investigate magmatic processes in the 1.27 Ga Muskox Intrusion (Canada) and 2.7 Ga Stillwater Intrusion (Montana). The Muskox main chromitite horizon has between 270-330 ppm Zn with δ66Zn ranging from 0.16 to 0.31‰. Zinc isotope compositions negatively correlate with Os isotopes. Chromitite (40a) with the lowest 187Os/188Os (0.132) has δ66Zn of 0.31±0.03‰; indistinguishable from the mantle value. CM19 glass from the co-eval Coppermine Volcanics, which has crust-like O and Nd isotopes but low 187Os/188Os (0.131), has been interpreted as the extrusive manifestation of chromitite genesis. The value of δ66Zn (0.27±0.07‰) for CM19 is within uncertainty of 40A, and permissive of formation during silicic-mafic melt mixing and large-scale chromitite crystallization. Stillwater chromitite seams exhibit a larger range in Zn (166-448 ppm), but generally lower δ66Zn (0.13±0.04‰) than Muskox chromitites, or to a JM Reef bulk sample (69 ppm Zn, δ66Zn = 0.22±0.03‰). These results suggest different sources of Zn for Ultramafic series chromitites versus the JM Reef (Banded series). Correspondingly, variations occur in Os isotopes for PGE poor chromitites (γOs = -2 to +4) versus the PGE-rich JM Reef (γOs = +12 to +34). Zinc isotope variations may be explained by either a mantle source with low δ66Zn that was subsequently contaminated by high δ66Zn crust, or from contamination of the ultramafic series by low δ66Zn

  1. Low-Ti melts from the southeastern Siberian Traps Large Igneous ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    and hence least differentiated dolerites are characterized by trace element patterns with Ta-Nb depletion, low Ce/Pb and high Sr/Pr. These trace element features are similar to water-saturated, mantle wedge-derived island arc basalts. These imply an important role of subduction fluid-derived trace elements in the source of ...

  2. A Geochemical View on the Interplay Between Earth's Mantle and Crust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauvel, C.

    2017-12-01

    Over most of Earth history, oceanic and continental crust was created and destroyed. The formation of both types of crust involves the crystallization and differentiation of magmas producing by mantle melting. Their destruction proceeds by mechanical erosion and weathering above sea level, chemical alteration on the seafloor, and bulk recycling in subduction zones. All these processes enrich of some chemical element and deplete others but each process has its own effect on chemical elements. While the flux of material from mantle to crust is well understood, the return flux is much more complex. In contrast to mantle processes, erosion, weathering, chemical alteration and sedimentary processes strongly decouple elements such as the rare earths and high-field strength elements due to their different solubilities in surface fluids and mineralogical sorting during transport. Soluble elements such as strontium or uranium are quantitatively transported to the ocean by rivers and decoupled from less soluble elements. Over geological time, such decoupling significantly influences the extent to which chemical elements remain at the Earth's surface or find their way back to the mantle through subduction zones. For example, elements like Hf or Nd are retained in heavy minerals on continents whereas U and Sr are transported to the oceans and then in subduction zones to the mantle. The consequence is that different radiogenic isotopic systems give disparate age estimates for the continental crust; e.g, Hf ages could be too old. In subduction zones, chemical elements are also decoupled, due to contrasting behavior during dehydration or melting in subducting slabs. The material sent back into the mantle is generally enriched in non-soluble elements while most fluid-mobile elements return to the crust. This, in turn, affects the relationship between the Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf and U-Th-Pb isotopic systems and creates correlations unlike those based on magmatic processes. By

  3. Mantle refertilization and magmatism in old orogenic regions: The role of late-orogenic pyroxenites

    Science.gov (United States)

    France, Lydéric; Chazot, Gilles; Kornprobst, Jacques; Dallai, Luigi; Vannucci, Riccardo; Grégoire, Michel; Bertrand, Hervé; Boivin, Pierre

    2015-09-01

    Pyroxenites and garnet pyroxenites are mantle heterogeneities characterized by a lower solidus temperature than the enclosing peridotites; it follows that they are preferentially involved during magma genesis. Constraining their origin, composition, and the interactions they underwent during their subsequent evolution is therefore essential to discuss the sources of magmatism in a given area. Pyroxenites could represent either recycling of crustal rocks in mantle domains or mantle originated rocks (formed either by olivine consuming melt-rock reactions or by crystal fractionation). Petrological and geochemical (major and trace elements, Sr-Nd and O isotopes) features of xenoliths from various occurrences (French Massif-Central, Jordan, Morocco and Cameroon) show that these samples represent cumulates crystallized during melt percolation at mantle conditions. They formed in mantle domains at pressures of 1-2 GPa during post-collisional magmatism (possibly Hercynian for the French Massif-Central, and Panafrican for Morocco, Jordan and Cameroon). The thermal re-equilibration of lithospheric domains, typical of the late orogenic exhumation stages, is also recorded by the samples. Most of the samples display a metasomatic overprint that may be either inherited or likely linked to the recent volcanic activity that occurred in the investigated regions. The crystallization of pyroxenites during late orogenic events has implications for the subsequent evolution of the mantle domains. The presence of large amounts of mantle pyroxenites in old orogenic regions indeed imparts peculiar physical and chemical characteristics to these domains. Among others, the global solidus temperature of the whole lithospheric domain will be lowered; in turn, this implies that old orogenic regions are refertilized zones where magmatic activity would be enhanced.

  4. Asthenospheric percolation of alkaline melts beneath the St. Paul region (Central Atlantic Ocean)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunelli, Daniele; Seyler, Monique

    2010-01-01

    Two peridotite suites collected by submersible in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean (Hekinian et al., 2000) were studied for textures, modes, and in situ major and trace element compositions in pyroxenes. Dive SP12 runs along the immersed flank of the St. Peter and Paul Rocks islets where amphibole-bearing, ultramafic mylonites enriched in alkalies and incompatible elements are exposed (Roden et al., 1984), whereas dive SP03 sampled a small intra-transform spreading centre situated about 370 km east of the St. Peter and Paul Rocks. Both suites are characterized by undeformed, coarse-grained granular textures typical of abyssal peridotites, derived from residual mantle after ˜ 15% melting of a DMM source, starting in the garnet stability field. Trace element modelling, textures and lack of mineral zoning indicate that the residual peridotites were percolated, reacted and refertilized by ˜ 2.6% partially aggregated melts in the uppermost level of the melting region. This relatively large amount of refertilization is in agreement with the cold and thick lithosphere inferred by previous studies. Freezing of trapped melts occurred as the peridotite entered the conductive layer, resulting in late-stage crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, spinel, ± plagioclase. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns in clinopyroxenes from SP03 indicate that they last equilibrated with (ultra-) depleted partial melts. In contrast, REE concentrations in clinopyroxenes from SP12 display U and S shaped LREE-enriched patterns and the calculated compositions of the impregnating melts span the compositional range of the regional basalts, which vary from normal MORB to alkali basalt sometimes modified by chromatographic fractionation with no, or very limited, mineral reaction. Thus the mylonitic band forming the St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks ridge is not a fragment of subcontinental lithospheric mantle left behind during the opening of the Central Atlantic, nor the source of the alkaline basalts

  5. The Universal Cpx Jd-Di barometer for mantle peridotite eclogite and pyroxenites and it using for the mantle petrology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashchepkov, Igor

    2015-04-01

    trace he boundary between the lower upper part of subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) at 3 -4 GPa marking pyroxenite eclogites layer. Ca- rich eclogites and especially grospydites in SCLM beneath Precambrian kimberlites occurs near pyroxenite layer but in younger mantle sections they became common in the lower parts marking presence of the subducted sediments. The Mg Cr- less group eclogites commonly diamondiferous and referring to the ancient island arc complexes are also common in the middle part of mantle sections and near 5-6 GPa. The group is often dominated in the young kimberlites and sometimes is highly diamondiferous. Commonly P-Fe# for eclogites in the lower SCLM part show rising Fe# with decreasing pressures which very of then reflect the differentiation of the magmatic systems commonly rather significant. Commonly the Fe#-values for the eclogites show that they can't be simple subucted oceanic basalts but material remelted not only during the low angle "hot"subduction but also under the influence of the kimberlite melts including protokimberlite magmas. The Mg - rich and Fe rich pyroxenites also show the extending in pressures trends which suggest the anatexic melting under the influence of volatiles or under the plum magma hybridization. RBRF grants 05-05-64718, 03-05-64146; 11 -05-00060a; 11-05-91060-PICS. Projects 77-2, 65-03, 02-05 IGM SD RAS and ALROSA Stock Company.

  6. Combined iron and magnesium isotope geochemistry of pyroxenite xenoliths from Hannuoba, North China Craton: implications for mantle metasomatism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xin Miao; Cao, Hui Hui; Mi, Xue; Evans, Noreen J.; Qi, Yu Han; Huang, Fang; Zhang, Hong Fu

    2017-06-01

    (as high as 1.00) but the lightest δ26Mg (as low as -1.50) values of all investigated samples. Overall, there appears to be a negative co-variation between δ57Fe and δ26Mg in the Hannuoba garnet-bearing pyroxenite and in the phlogopite clinopyroxenite xenoliths and minerals therein. These features may reflect kinetic isotopic fractionation due to iron and magnesium inter-diffusion during melt-rock interaction. Such processes play an important role in producing inter-mineral iron and magnesium isotopic disequilibrium and local iron and magnesium isotopic heterogeneity in the subcontinental mantle.

  7. The Effect of fO2 on Partition Coefficients of U and Th between Garnet and Silicate Melt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, F.; He, Z.; Schmidt, M. W.; Li, Q.

    2014-12-01

    Garnet is one of the most important minerals controlling partitioning of U and Th in the upper mantle. U is redox sensitive, while Th is tetra-valent at redox conditions of the silicate Earth. U-series disequilibria have provided a unique tool to constrain the time-scales and processes of magmatism at convergent margins. Variation of garnet/meltDU/Th with fO2 is critical to understand U-series disequilibria in arc lavas. However, there is still no systematic experimental study about the effect of fO2 on partitioning of U and Th between garnet and melt. Here we present experiments on partitioning of U, Th, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, and REE between garnet and silicate melts at various fO2. The starting material was hydrous haplo-basalt. The piston cylinder experiments were performed with Pt double capsules with C-CO, MnO-Mn3O4 (MM), and hematite-magnetite (HM) buffers at 3 GPa and 1185-1230 oC. The experiments produced garnets with diameters > 50μm and quenched melt. Major elements were measured by EMPA at ETH Zurich. Trace elements were determined using LA-ICP-MS at Northwestern University (Xi'an, China) and SIMS (Cameca1280 at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Beijing, China), producing consistent partition coefficient data for U and Th. With fO2 increasing from CCO to MM and HM, garnet/meltDU decreases from 0.041 to 0.005, while garnet/meltDTh ranges from 0.003 to 0.007 without correlation with fO2. Notably, garnet/meltDTh/U increases from 0.136 at CCO to 0.41 at HM. Our results indicate that U is still more compatible than Th in garnet even at the highest fO2 considered for the subarc mantle wedge (~NNO). Therefore, we predict that if garnet is the dominant phase controlling U-Th partitioning during melting of the mantle wedge, melts would still have 230Th excess over 238U. This explains why most young continental arc lavas have 230Th excess. If clinopyroxene is the dominant residual phase during mantle melting, U could be more incompatible than Th at high fO2

  8. Compositional and isotopic heterogeneities in the Neo-Tethyan upper mantle recorded by coexisting Al-rich and Cr-rich chromitites in the Purang peridotite massif, SW Tibet (China)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Fahui; Yang, Jingsui; Xu, Xiangzhen; Kapsiotis, Argyrios; Hao, Xiaolin; Liu, Zhao

    2018-06-01

    The Purang harzburgite massif in SW Tibet (China) hosts abundant chrome ore deposits. Ores consist of 20 to >95% modal chromian spinel (Cr-spinel) with mylonitic fabric in imbricate shaped pods. The composition of Cr-spinel in these ores ranges from Al-rich [Cr#Sp or Cr/(Cr + Al) × 100 = 47.60-57.56] to Cr-rich (Cr#Sp: 62.55-79.57). Bulk platinum-group element (PGE) contents of chromitites are also highly variable ranging from 17.5 ppb to ∼2.5 ppm. Both metallurgical and refractory chromitites show a general enrichment in the IPGE (Os, Ir and Ru) with respect to the PPGE (Rh, Pt and Pd), resulting mostly in right-sloping primitive mantle (PM)-normalized PGE profiles. The platinum-group mineral (PGM) assemblages of both chromitite types are dominated by heterogeneously distributed, euhedral Os-bearing laurite inclusions in Cr-spinel. The Purang chromitites have quite inhomogeneous 187Os/188Os ratios (0.12289-0.13194) that are within the range of those reported for mantle-hosted chromitites from other peridotite massifs. Geochemical calculations demonstrate that the parental melts of high-Cr chromitites were boninitic, whereas those of high-Al chromitites had an arc-type tholeiitic affinity. Chromite crystallization was most likely stimulated by changes in magma compositions due to melt-peridotite interaction, leading to the establishment of a heterogeneous physicochemical environment during the early crystallization of the PGM. The highly variable PGE contents, inhomogeneous Os-isotopic compositions and varying Cr#Sp ratios of these chromitites imply a polygenetic origin for them from spatially distinct melt inputs. The generally low γOs values (different sections of a heterogeneously depleted mantle source region. These melts were most likely produced in the mantle wedge above a downgoing lithospheric slab.

  9. Application of nuclear analytical techniques to trace elements in cenozoic basalt and their mantle xenoliths from Aershan area in Inner Mongolia, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Fusheng; Han Song; Huang Yuying; He Wei; Cao Jie; Wang Hongyue

    2005-01-01

    Basaltic samples from different locations in Aershan area determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) have the same distribution patterns of REE and trace elements. The similar REE contents of the same minerals without inclusions from different xenolith suggest that the mantle source region under different active volcanoes have the same composition. The REE content differences between the same minerals with and without melt inclusions selected from the same mantle xenolith indicate that the melt inclusions are rich in REE. The same patterns of trace elements of inclusions and host minerals from different xenolith analyzed by SRXRF suggest that the mantle fluid has no notable heterogeneity in Aershan area. (authors)

  10. Eruption style at Kīlauea Volcano in Hawai‘i linked to primary melt composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sides. I.R.,; Edmonds, M.; Maclennan, J.; Swanson, Don; Houghton, Bruce F.

    2014-01-01

    Explosive eruptions at basaltic volcanoes have been linked to gas segregation from magmas at shallow depths in the crust. The composition of primary melts formed at greater depths was thought to have little influence on eruptive style. Ocean island basaltic volcanoes are the product of melting of a geochemically heterogeneous mantle plume and are expected to give rise to heterogeneous primary melts. This range in primary melt composition, particularly with respect to the volatile components, will profoundly influence magma buoyancy, storage and eruption style. Here we analyse the geochemistry of a suite of melt inclusions from 25 historical eruptions at the ocean island volcano of Kīlauea, Hawai‘i, over the past 600 years. We find that more explosive styles of eruption at Kīlauea Volcano are associated statistically with more geochemically enriched primary melts that have higher volatile concentrations. These enriched melts ascend faster and retain their primary nature, undergoing little interaction with the magma reservoir at the volcano’s summit. We conclude that the eruption style and magma-supply rate at Kīlauea are fundamentally linked to the geochemistry of the primary melts formed deep below the volcano. Magmas might therefore be predisposed towards explosivity right at the point of formation in their mantle source region.

  11. Mantle wedge serpentinization effects on slab dips

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eh Tan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The mechanical coupling between a subducting slab and the overlying mantle wedge is an important factor in controlling the subduction dip angle and the flow in mantel wedge. This paper investigates the role of the amount of mantle serpentinization on the subduction zone evolution. With numerical thermos-mechanical models with elasto-visco-plastic rheology, we vary the thickness and depth extent of mantle serpentinization in the mantle wedge to control the degree of coupling between the slab and mantle wedge. A thin serpentinized mantle layer is required for stable subduction. For models with stable subduction, we find that the slab dip is affected by the down-dip extent and the mantle serpentinization thickness. A critical down-dip extent exists in mantle serpentinization, determined by the thickness of the overriding lithosphere. If the down-dip extent does not exceed the critical depth, the slab is partially coupled to the overriding lithosphere and has a constant dip angle regardless of the mantle serpentinization thickness. However, if the down-dip extent exceeds the critical depth, the slab and the base of the overriding lithosphere would be separated and decoupled by a thick layer of serpentinized peridotite. This allows further slab bending and results in steeper slab dip. Increasing mantle serpentinization thickness will also result in larger slab dip. We also find that with weak mantle wedge, there is no material flowing from the asthenosphere into the serpentinized mantle wedge. All of these results indicate that serpentinization is an important ingredient when studying the subduction dynamics in the mantle wedge.

  12. Seismological evidence for a sub-volcanic arc mantle wedge beneath the Denali volcanic gap, Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, D.E.; Pasyanos, M.E.

    2002-01-01

    Arc volcanism in Alaska is strongly correlated with the 100 km depth contour of the western Aluetian Wadati-Benioff zone. Above the eastern portion of the Wadati-Benioff zone however, there is a distinct lack of volcanism (the Denali volcanic gap). We observe high Poisson's ratio values (0.29-0.33) over the entire length of the Alaskan subduction zone mantle wedge based on regional variations of Pn and Sn velocities. High Poisson's ratios at this depth (40-70 km), adjacent to the subducting slab, are attributed to melting of mantle-wedge peridotites, caused by fluids liberated from the subducting oceanic crust and sediments. Observations of high values of Poisson's ratio, beneath the Denali volcanic gap suggest that the mantle wedge contains melted material that is unable to reach the surface. We suggest that its inability to migrate through the overlying crust is due to increased compression in the crust at the northern apex of the curved Denali fault.

  13. Permeability and 3-D melt geometry in shear-induced high melt fraction conduits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, W.; Cordonnier, B.; Qi, C.; Kohlstedt, D. L.

    2017-12-01

    Observations of dunite channels in ophiolites and uranium-series disequilibria in mid-ocean ridge basalt suggest that melt transport in the upper mantle beneath mid-ocean ridges is strongly channelized. Formation of high melt fraction conduits could result from mechanical shear, pyroxene dissolution, and lithological partitioning. Deformation experiments (e.g. Holtzman et al., 2003) demonstrate that shear stress causes initially homogeneously distributed melt to segregate into an array of melt-rich bands, flanked by melt-depleted regions. At the same average melt fraction, the permeability of high melt fraction conduits could be orders of magnitude higher than that of their homogenous counterparts. However, it is difficult to determine the permeability of melt-rich bands. Using X-ray synchrotron microtomography, we obtained high-resolution images of 3-dimensional (3-D) melt distribution in a partially molten rock containing shear-induced high melt fraction conduits. Sample CQ0705, an olivine-alkali basalt aggregate with a nominal melt fraction of 4%, was deformed in torsion at a temperature of 1473 K and a confining pressure of 300 MPa to a shear strain of 13.3. A sub-volume of CQ0705 encompassing 3-4 melt-rich bands was imaged. Microtomography data were reduced to binary form so that solid olivine is distinguishable from basalt glass. At a spatial resolution of 160 nm, the 3-D images reveal the shape and connectedness of melt pockets in the melt-rich bands. Thin melt channels formed at grain edges are connected at large melt nodes at grain corners. Initial data analysis shows a clear preferred orientation of melt pockets alignment subparallel to the melt-rich band. We use the experimentally determined geometrical parameters of melt topology to create a digital rock with identical 3-D microstructures. Stokes flow simulations are conducted on the digital rock to obtain the permeability tensor. Using this digital rock physics approach, we determine how deformation

  14. Potential Temperatures of Sources of MORB, OIB and LIPs Based on AL Partitioning Between Olivine and Spinel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobolev, A. V.; Batanova, V. G.; Krasheninnikov, S.; Borisov, A.; Arndt, N.; Kuzmin, D.; Krivolutskaya, N.; Sushevskaya, N.

    2013-12-01

    Knowledge of potential temperatures of convecting mantle is required for the understanding the global processes on the Earth [1]. The common way to estimate these is the reconstruction of primary melt compositions and liquidus temperatures based on the Fe-Mg partitioning between olivine and melt. This approach requires knowledge of the compositions of primitive melts in equilibrium with olivine alone as well as composition of olivine equilibrium with primary melts. This information is in most cases unavailable or of questionable quality. Here we report a new approach to obtain crystallization temperatures of primary melts based on the olivine-spinel Al-Cr geothermometer [2]. The advantages of this approach are: (1) low rate of diffusion of Al in the olivine, which promises to preserve high magmatic temperatures and (2) common presence of spinel in assemblage with high-Mg olivine. In order to decipher influence of elevated Ti concentrations in spinel we have run several experiments at high temperatures (1400-1200 degree C), atmospheric pressure and controled oxygen fugacity. We also analysed over two thousand spinel inclusions and high-Mg host olivines from different MORB, OIB, LIP and Archean komatiites on the JXA-8230 EPMA at ISTerre, Grenoble, France. Concentrations of Al, Ti, Na, P, Zn, Cr, Mn, Ca, Co, Ni were determined with a precision of 10 ppm (2 standard errors) using a newly developed protocol [3]. When available, we also analysed matrix glass and glass inclusions in olivine and found that temperature estimations from olivine-spinel (Al-Cr) and olivine-melt (Fe-Mg) [4] equilibrium match within (+/-30 degree C). The results show contrasting crystallization temperatures of Mg-rich olivine of the same Fo content from different types of mantle-derived magmas, from the lowest (down to 1220 degree C) for MORB to the highest (up to 1550 degree C) for komatiites and Siberian meimechites. These results match predictions from Fe-Mg olivine-melt equilibrium and

  15. Re-Os Isotopic Constraints on the Chemical Evolution and Differentiation of the Martian Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandon, Alan D.; Walker, Richard J.

    2002-01-01

    subsequent inefficient mixing between these reservoirs. These data show that models for the origin of isotopic variation for SNC meteorites require at least two long-lived mantle reservoirs, and possibly three. The range in the projected present day gamma(sub Os) of these reservoirs is from -5.4+/-2.6, to +4+/-1. The isotopic systematics of these reservoirs may be linked to development of cumulate crystal piles in a Martian magma ocean and variable amounts of late stage intercumulus melt. In this model, fractional crystallization of olivine and possibly other phases with slightly subchondritic Re/Os, from a solidifying magma ocean, resulted in a lower Re/Os ratio early cumulates, and a resultant low gamma(sub Os). Later cumulates or evolved melts crystallized with higher Re/Os ratios to produce the mantle reservoir(s) with consequent higher gamma(sub Os). Crystallization of the Martian magma ocean followed earliest core formation, as indicated by the correlation of epsilon(sub W) with epsilon(sub 142Nd) and initial gamma(sub Os).

  16. Archean greenstone-tonalite duality: Thermochemical mantle convection models or plate tectonics in the early Earth global dynamics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerrich, Robert; Polat, Ali

    2006-03-01

    were intruded by voluminous norites from the Neoarchean through Proterozoic; norites are accounted for by melting of subduction metasomatized Archean continental lithospheric mantle (CLM). Deep CLM defines Archean cratons; it extends to ˜ 350 km, includes the diamond facies, and xenoliths signify a composition of the buoyant, refractory, residue of plume melting, a natural consequence of imbricated plateau-arc crust. Voluminous tonalites of Archean greenstone-granitoid terranes show a secular trend of increasing Mg#, Cr, Ni consistent with slab melts hybridizing with thicker mantle wedge as subduction angle steepens. Strike-slip faults of 1000 km scale; diachronous accretion of distinct tectonostratigraphic terranes; and broad Cordilleran-type orogens featuring multiple sutures, and oceanward migration of arcs, in the Archean Superior and Yilgarn cratons, are in common with the Altaid and Phanerozoic Cordilleran orogens. There is increasing geological evidence of the supercontinent cycle operating back to ˜ 2.7 Ga: Kenorland or Ur ˜ 2.7-2.4 Ga; Columbia ˜ 1.6-1.4 Ga; Rodinia ˜ 1100-750 Ma; and Pangea ˜ 230 Ma. High-resolution seismic reflection profiling of Archean terranes reveals a prevalence of low angle structures, and evidence for paleo-subduction zones. Collectively, the geological-geochemical-seismic records endorse the operation of plate tectonics since the early Archean.

  17. Osmium Isotopic Evolution of the Mantle Sources of Precambrian Ultramafic Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gangopadhyay, A.; Walker, R. J.

    2006-12-01

    high-precision initial Os isotopic compositions of the majority of ultramafic systems show strikingly uniform initial ^{187}Os/^{188}Os ratios, consistent with their derivation from sources that had Os isotopic evolution trajectory very similar to that of carbonaceous chondrites. In addition, the Os isotopic evolution trajectories of the mantle sources for most komatiites show resolvably lower average Re/Os than that estimated for the Primitive Upper Mantle (PUM), yet significantly higher than that obtained in some estimates for the modern convecting upper mantle, as determined via analyses of abyssal peridotites. One possibility is that most of the komatiites sample mantle sources that are unique relative to the sources of abyssal peridotites and MORB. Previous arguments that komatiites originate via large extents of partial melting of relatively deep upper mantle, or even lower mantle materials could, therefore, implicate a source that is different from the convecting upper mantle. If so, this source is remarkably uniform in its long-term Re/Os, and it shows moderate depletion in Re relative to the PUM. Alternatively, if the komatiites are generated within the convective upper mantle through relatively large extents of partial melting, they may provide a better estimate of the Os isotopic composition of the convective upper mantle than that obtained via analyses of MORB, abyssal peridotites and ophiolites.

  18. The effects of buoyancy on shear-induced melt bands in a compacting porous medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, S. L.

    2009-03-01

    It has recently been shown [Holtzman, B., Groebner, N., Zimmerman, M., Ginsberg, S., Kohlstedt, D., 2003. Stress-driven melt segregation in partially molten rocks. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 4, Art. No. 8607; Holtzman, B.K., Kohlstedt, D.L., 2007. Stress-driven melt segregation and strain partitioning in partially molten rocks: effects of stress and strain. J. Petrol. 48, 2379-2406] that when partially molten rock is subjected to simple shear, bands of high and low porosity are formed at a particular angle to the direction of instantaneous maximum extension. These have been modeled numerically and it has been speculated that high porosity bands may form an interconnected network with a bulk, effective permeability that is enhanced in a direction parallel to the bands. As a result, the bands may act to focus mantle melt towards the axis of mid-ocean ridges [Katz, R.F., Spiegelman, M., Holtzman, B., 2006. The dynamics of melt and shear localization in partially molten aggregates. Nature 442, 676-679]. In this contribution, we examine the combined effects of buoyancy and matrix shear on a deforming porous layer. The linear theory of Spiegelman [Spiegelman, M., 1993. Flow in deformable porous media. Part 1. Simple analysis. J. Fluid Mech. 247, 17-38; Spiegelman, M., 2003. Linear analysis of melt band formation by simple shear. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 4, doi:10.1029/2002GC000499, Article 8615] and Katz et al. [Katz, R.F., Spiegelman, M., Holtzman, B., 2006. The dynamics of melt and shear localization in partially molten aggregates. Nature 442, 676-679] is generalized to include both the effects of buoyancy and matrix shear on a deformable porous layer with strain-rate dependent rheology. The predictions of linear theory are compared with the early time evolution of our 2D numerical model and they are found to be in excellent agreement. For conditions similar to the upper mantle, buoyancy forces can be similar to or much greater than matrix shear-induced forces. The

  19. Bending-related faulting and mantle serpentinization at the Middle America trench.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranero, C R; Morgan, J Phipps; McIntosh, K; Reichert, C

    2003-09-25

    The dehydration of subducting oceanic crust and upper mantle has been inferred both to promote the partial melting leading to arc magmatism and to induce intraslab intermediate-depth earthquakes, at depths of 50-300 km. Yet there is still no consensus about how slab hydration occurs or where and how much chemically bound water is stored within the crust and mantle of the incoming plate. Here we document that bending-related faulting of the incoming plate at the Middle America trench creates a pervasive tectonic fabric that cuts across the crust, penetrating deep into the mantle. Faulting is active across the entire ocean trench slope, promoting hydration of the cold crust and upper mantle surrounding these deep active faults. The along-strike length and depth of penetration of these faults are also similar to the dimensions of the rupture area of intermediate-depth earthquakes.

  20. Geodynamics of kimberlites on a cooling Earth: Clues to plate tectonic evolution and deep volatile cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tappe, Sebastian; Smart, Katie; Torsvik, Trond; Massuyeau, Malcolm; de Wit, Mike

    2018-02-01

    Kimberlite magmatism has occurred in cratonic regions on every continent. The global age distribution suggests that this form of mantle melting has been more prominent after 1.2 Ga, and notably between 250-50 Ma, than during early Earth history before 2 Ga (i.e., the Paleoproterozoic and Archean). Although preservation bias has been discussed as a possible reason for the skewed kimberlite age distribution, new treatment of an updated global database suggests that the apparent secular evolution of kimberlite and related CO2-rich ultramafic magmatism is genuine and probably coupled to lowering temperatures of Earth's upper mantle through time. Incipient melting near the CO2- and H2O-bearing peridotite solidus at >200 km depth (1100-1400 °C) is the petrologically most feasible process that can produce high-MgO carbonated silicate melts with enriched trace element concentrations akin to kimberlites. These conditions occur within the convecting asthenospheric mantle directly beneath thick continental lithosphere. In this transient upper mantle source region, variable CHO volatile mixtures control melting of peridotite in the absence of heat anomalies so that low-degree carbonated silicate melts may be permanently present at ambient mantle temperatures below 1400 °C. However, extraction of low-volume melts to Earth's surface requires tectonic triggers. Abrupt changes in the speed and direction of plate motions, such as typified by the dynamics of supercontinent cycles, can be effective in the creation of lithospheric pathways aiding kimberlite magma ascent. Provided that CO2- and H2O-fluxed deep cratonic keels, which formed parts of larger drifting tectonic plates, existed by 3 Ga or even before, kimberlite volcanism could have been frequent during the Archean. However, we argue that frequent kimberlite magmatism had to await establishment of an incipient melting regime beneath the maturing continents, which only became significant after secular mantle cooling to below

  1. Model of interfacial melting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mouritsen, Ole G.; Zuckermann, Martin J.

    1987-01-01

    A two-dimensional model is proposed to describe systems with phase transitions which take place in terms of crystalline as well as internal degrees of freedom. Computer simulation of the model shows that the interplay between the two sets of degrees of freedom permits observation of grain-boundar......-boundary formation and interfacial melting, a nonequilibrium process by which the system melts at the boundaries of a polycrystalline domain structure. Lipid membranes are candidates for systems with pronounced interfacial melting behavior....

  2. Inference of viscosity jump at 670 km depth and lower mantle viscosity structure from GIA observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakada, Masao; Okuno, Jun'ichi; Irie, Yoshiya

    2018-03-01

    A viscosity model with an exponential profile described by temperature (T) and pressure (P) distributions and constant activation energy (E_{{{um}}}^{{*}} for the upper mantle and E_{{{lm}}}^* for the lower mantle) and volume (V_{{{um}}}^{{*}} and V_{{{lm}}}^*) is employed in inferring the viscosity structure of the Earth's mantle from observations of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). We first construct standard viscosity models with an average upper-mantle viscosity ({\\bar{η }_{{{um}}}}) of 2 × 1020 Pa s, a typical value for the oceanic upper-mantle viscosity, satisfying the observationally derived three GIA-related observables, GIA-induced rate of change of the degree-two zonal harmonic of the geopotential, {\\dot{J}_2}, and differential relative sea level (RSL) changes for the Last Glacial Maximum sea levels at Barbados and Bonaparte Gulf in Australia and for RSL changes at 6 kyr BP for Karumba and Halifax Bay in Australia. Standard viscosity models inferred from three GIA-related observables are characterized by a viscosity of ˜1023 Pa s in the deep mantle for an assumed viscosity at 670 km depth, ηlm(670), of (1 - 50) × 1021 Pa s. Postglacial RSL changes at Southport, Bermuda and Everglades in the intermediate region of the North American ice sheet, largely dependent on its gross melting history, have a crucial potential for inference of a viscosity jump at 670 km depth. The analyses of these RSL changes based on the viscosity models with {\\bar{η }_{{{um}}}} ≥ 2 × 1020 Pa s and lower-mantle viscosity structures for the standard models yield permissible {\\bar{η }_{{{um}}}} and ηlm (670) values, although there is a trade-off between the viscosity and ice history models. Our preferred {\\bar{η }_{{{um}}}} and ηlm (670) values are ˜(7 - 9) × 1020 and ˜1022 Pa s, respectively, and the {\\bar{η }_{{{um}}}} is higher than that for the typical value of oceanic upper mantle, which may reflect a moderate laterally heterogeneous upper-mantle

  3. Alakit and Daldyn kimberlite fields, Siberia, Russia: Two types of mantle sub-terranes beneath central Yakutia?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.V. Ashchepkov

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Mineral data from Yakutian kimberlites allow reconstruction of the history of lithospheric mantle. Differences occur in compositions of mantle pyropes and clinopyroxenes from large kimberlite pipes in the Alakit and Daldyn fields. In the Alakit field, Cr-diopsides are alkaline, and Stykanskaya and some other pipes contain more sub-calcic pyropes and dunitic-type diamond inclusions, while in the Daldyn field harzburgitic pyropes are frequent. The eclogitic diamond inclusions in the Alakit field are sharply divided in types and conditions, while in the Daldyn field they show varying compositions and often continuous Pressure–Temperature (P–T ranges with increasing Fe# with decreasing pressures. In Alakit, Cr-pargasites to richterites were found in all pipes, while in Daldyn, pargasites are rare Dalnyaya and Zarnitsa pipes. Cr-diopsides from the Alakit region show higher levels of light Rare Earth Elements (LREE and stronger REE-slopes, and enrichment in light Rare Earth Elements (LREE, sometimes Th-U, and small troughs in Nb-Ta-Zr. In the Daldyn field, the High Field Strength Elements HFSE troughs are more common in clinopyroxenes with low REE abundances, while those from sheared and refertilized peridotites have smooth patterns. Garnets from Alakit show HREE minima, but those from Daldyn often have a trough at Y and high U and Pb. PTXfO2 diagrams from both regions show similarities, suggesting similar layering and structures. The degree of metasomatism is often higher for pipes which show dispersion in P–Fe# trends for garnets. In the mantle beneath Udachnaya and Aykhal, pipes show 6–7 linear arrays of P–Fe# in the lower part of the mantle section at 7.5–3.0 GPa, probably reflecting primary subduction horizons. Beneath the Sytykanskaya pipe, there are several horizons with opposite inclinations which reflect metasomatic processes. The high dispersion of the P–Fe# trend indicating widespread metasomatism is associated with decreased

  4. Origin of primitive ocean island basalts by crustal gabbro assimilation and multiple recharge of plume-derived melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borisova, Anastassia Y.; Bohrson, Wendy A.; Grégoire, Michel

    2017-07-01

    Chemical Geodynamics relies on a paradigm that the isotopic composition of ocean island basalt (OIB) represents equilibrium with its primary mantle sources. However, the discovery of huge isotopic heterogeneity within olivine-hosted melt inclusions in primitive basalts from Kerguelen, Iceland, Hawaii and South Pacific Polynesia islands implies open-system behavior of OIBs, where during magma residence and transport, basaltic melts are contaminated by surrounding lithosphere. To constrain the processes of crustal assimilation by OIBs, we employed the Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS), an energy-constrained thermodynamic model of recharge, assimilation and fractional crystallization. For a case study of the 21-19 Ma basaltic series, the most primitive series ever found among the Kerguelen OIBs, we performed sixty-seven simulations in the pressure range from 0.2 to 1.0 GPa using compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions as parental magmas, and metagabbro xenoliths from the Kerguelen Archipelago as wallrock. MCS modeling requires that the assimilant is anatectic crustal melts (P2O5 ≤ 0.4 wt.% contents) derived from the Kerguelen oceanic metagabbro wallrock. To best fit the phenocryst assemblage observed in the investigated basaltic series, recharge of relatively large masses of hydrous primitive basaltic melts (H2O = 2-3 wt%; MgO = 7-10 wt.%) into a middle crustal chamber at 0.2 to 0.3 GPa is required. Our results thus highlight the important impact that crustal gabbro assimilation and mantle recharge can have on the geochemistry of mantle-derived olivine-phyric OIBs. The importance of crustal assimilation affecting primitive plume-derived basaltic melts underscores that isotopic and chemical equilibrium between ocean island basalts and associated deep plume mantle source(s) may be the exception rather than the rule.

  5. Petrogenesis of siliceous high-Mg series rocks as exemplified by the Early Paleoproterozoic mafic volcanic rocks of the Eastern Baltic Shield: enriched mantle versus crustal contamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogina, Maria; Zlobin, Valeriy; Sharkov, Evgenii; Chistyakov, Alexeii

    2015-04-01

    The Early Paleoproterozoic stage in the Earth's evolution was marked by the initiation of global rift systems, the tectonic nature of which was determined by plume geodynamics. These processes caused the voluminous emplacement of mantle melts with the formation of dike swarms, mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions, and volcanic rocks. All these rocks are usually considered as derivatives of SHMS (siliceous high-magnesian series). Within the Eastern Baltic Shield, the SHMS volcanic rocks are localized in the domains with different crustal history: in the Vodlozero block of the Karelian craton with the oldest (Middle Archean) crust, in the Central Block of the same craton with the Neoarchean crust, and in the Kola Craton with a heterogeneous crust. At the same time, these rocks are characterized by sufficiently close geochemical characteristics: high REE fractionation ((La/Yb)N = 4.9-11.7, (La/Sm)N=2.3-3.6, (Gd/Yb)N =1.66-2.74)), LILE enrichment, negative Nb anomaly, low to moderate Ti content, and sufficiently narrow variations in Nd isotope composition from -2.0 to -0.4 epsilon units. The tectonomagmatic interpretation of these rocks was ambiguous, because such characteristics may be produced by both crustal contamination of depleted mantle melts, and by generation from a mantle source metasomatized during previous subduction event. Similar REE patterns and overlapping Nd isotope compositions indicate that the studied basaltic rocks were formed from similar sources. If crustal contamination en route to the surface would play a significant role in the formation of the studied basalts, then almost equal amounts of contaminant of similar composition are required to produce the mafic rocks with similar geochemical signatures and close Nd isotopic compositions, which is hardly possible for the rocks spaced far apart in a heterogeneous crust. This conclusion is consistent with analysis of some relations between incompatible elements and their ratios. In particular, the

  6. The density, compressibility and seismic velocity of hydrous melts at crustal and upper mantle conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueki, K.; Iwamori, H.

    2015-12-01

    Various processes of subduction zone magmatism, such as upward migration of partial melts and fractional crystallization depend on the density of the hydrous silicate melt. The density and the compressibility of the hydrous melt are key factors for the thermodynamic calculation of phase relation of the hydrous melt, and the geophysical inversion to predict physicochemical conditions of the melting region based on the seismic velocity. This study presents a new model for the calculations of the density of the hydrous silicate melts as a function of T, P, H2O content and melt composition. The Birch-Murnaghan equation is used for the equation of state. We compile the experimentally determined densities of various hydrous melts, and optimize the partial molar volume, compressibility, thermal expansibility and its pressure derivative, and K' of the H2O component in the silicate melt. P-T ranges of the calibration database are 0.48-4.29 GPa and 1033-2073 K. As such, this model covers the P-T ranges of the entire melting region of the subduction zone. Parameter set provided by Lange and Carmichael [1990] is used for the partial molar volume and KT value of the anhydrous silicate melt. K' of anhydrous melt is newly parameterized as a function of SiO2 content. The new model accurately reproduces the experimentally determined density variations of various hydrous melts from basalt to rhyolite. Our result shows that the hydrous melt is more compressive and less dense than the anhydrous melt; with the 5 wt% of H2O in melt, density and KT decrease by ~10% and ~30% from those of the anhydrous melt, respectively. For the application of the model, we calculated the P-wave velocity of the hydrous melt. With the 5 wt% of H2O, P-wave velocity of the silicate melt decreases by >10%. Based on the melt P-wave velocity, we demonstrate the effect of the melt H2O content on the seismic velocity of the partially molten zone of the subduction zone.

  7. Melting of hydrous upper mantle and possible generation of andesitic magma: an approach from synthetic systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kushiro, I

    1974-07-01

    Phase equilibria in a portion of the system forsterite--plagioclase (An/sub 50/Ab/sub 50/ by weight)--silica--H/sub 2/O have been determined at 15 kbar pressure under H/sub 2/O-saturated conditions. The composition of the liquid pertinent to the piercing point forsterite + enstatite solid solution + amphibole + liquid + vapor is similar to that of calc-alkaline andesite. The electron microprobe analysis of the glass coexisting with the above three crystalline phases is very close to that of the piercing point determined by phase assemblage observations; however, the glass near (less than 8 ..mu..m) forsterite crystals is significantly depleted in the normative forsterite component. With the addition of 10 wt. percent KAlSi/sub 3/O/sub 8/, the composition of this piercing point becomes even closer to the compositions of calc-alkaline andesites. It is also shown that the liquid coexisting with forsterite and enstatite solid solution remains silica-rich (60 to 62 wt. percent) over a wide (approximately 100/sup 0/C) temperature range. The present experimental studies support the view that liquids similar in composition to calc-alkaline andesites can be generated by direct partial melting of hydrous upper mantle at least at or near 15 kbar.

  8. Solvent Free Low-Melt Viscosity Imide Oligomers And Thermosetting Polyimide Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, CHun-Hua (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    This invention relates to the composition and a solvent-free process for preparing novel imide oligomers and polymers specifically formulated with effective amounts of a dianhydride such as 2,3,3',4-biphenyltetra carboxylic dianydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic diamine' and an endcapped of 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260-280" C. When the imide oligomer melt is cured at about 371 C. in a press or autoclave under 100-500 psi, the melt resulted in a thermoset polyimide having a glass transition temperature (T(sub g)) equal to and above 310 C. A novel feature of this process is that the monomers; namely the dianhydrides, diamines and the endcaps, are melt processable to form imide oligomers at temperatures ranging between 232-280 C. (450-535 F) without any solvent. These low-melt imide oligomers can be easily processed by resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or the resin infusion process with fiber preforms e.g. carbon, glass or quartz preforms to produce polyimide matrix composites with 288-343C (550-650 F) high temperature performance capability.

  9. Re — Os isotopic constraints on the origin of volcanic rocks, Gorgona Island, Colombia: Os isotopic evidence for ancient heterogeneities in the mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, R. J.; Echeverria, L. M.; Shirey, S. B.; Horan, M. F.

    1991-04-01

    The Re — Os isotopic systematics of komatiites and spatially associated basalts from Gorgona Island, Colombia, indicate that they were produced at 155±43 Ma. Subsequent episodes of volcanism produced basalts at 88.1±3.8 Ma and picritic and basaltic lavas at ca. 58 Ma. The age for the ultramafic rocks is important because it coincides with the late-Jurassic, early-Cretaceous disassembly of Pangea, when the North- and South-American plates began to pull apart. Deep-seated mantle upwelling possibly precipitated the break-up of these continental plates and caused a tear in the subducting slab west of Gorgona, providing a rare, late-Phanerozoic conduit for the komatiitic melts. Mantle sources for the komatiites were heterogeneous with respect to Os and Pb isotopic compositions, but had homogeneous Nd isotopic compositions (ɛNd+9±1). Initial 187Os/186Os normalized to carbonaceous chondrites at 155 Ma (γOs) ranged from 0 to +22, and model-initial μ values ranged from 8.17 to 8.39. The excess radiogenic Os, compared with an assumed bulk-mantle evolution similar to carbonaceous chondrites, was likely produced in portions of the mantle with long-term elevated Re concentrations. The Os, Pb and Nd isotopic compositions, together with major-element constraints, suggest that the sources of the komatiites were enriched more than 1 Ga ago by low (<20%) and variable amounts of a basalt or komatiite component. This component was added as either subducted oceanic crust or melt derived from greater depths in the mantle. These results suggest that the Re — Os isotope system may be a highly sensitive indicator of the presence of ancient subducted oceanic crust in mantle-source regions.

  10. Ar and K partitioning between clinopyroxene and silicate melt to 8 GPa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamorro, E. M.; Brooker, R. A.; Wartho, J.-A.; Wood, B. J.; Kelley, S. P.; Blundy, J. D.

    2002-02-01

    The relative incompatibility of Ar and K are fundamental parameters in understanding the degassing history of the mantle. Clinopyroxene is the main host for K in most of the upper mantle, playing an important role in controlling the K/Ar ratio of residual mantle and the subsequent time-integrated evolution of 40Ar/36Ar ratios. Clinopyroxene also contributes to the bulk Ar partition coefficient that controls the Ar degassing rate during mantle melting. The partitioning of Ar and K between clinopyroxene and quenched silicate melt has been experimentally determined from 1 to 8 GPa for the bulk compositions Ab80Di20 (80 mol% albite-20 mol% diopside) and Ab20Di80 with an ultraviolet laser ablation microprobe (UVLAMP) technique for Ar analysis and the ion microprobe for K. Data for Kr (UVLAMP) and Rb (ion probe) have also been determined to evaluate the role of crystal lattice sites in controlling partitioning. By excluding crystal analyses that show evidence of glass contamination, we find relatively constant Ar partition coefficients (DAr) of 2.6 × 10-4 to 3.9 × 10-4 for the Ab80Di20 system at pressures from 2 to 8 GPa. In the Ab20Di80 system, DAr shows similar low values of 7.0 × 10-5 and 3.0 × 10-4 at 1 to 3 GPa. All these values are several orders of magnitude lower than previous measurements on separated crystal-glass pairs. DK is 10 to 50 times greater than DRb for all experiments, and both elements follow parallel trends with increasing pressure, although these trends are significantly different in each system studied. The DK values for clinopyroxene are at least an order of magnitude greater than DAr under all conditions investigated here, but DAr appears to show more consistent behavior between the two systems than K or Rb. The partitioning behavior of K and Rb can be explained in terms of combined pressure, temperature, and crystal chemistry effects that result in changes for the size of the clinopyroxene M2 site. In the Ab20Di80 system, where

  11. The melting curve of iron to 250 gigapascals - A constraint on the temperature at earth's center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Quentin; Jeanloz, Raymond; Bass, Jay; Svendsen, Bob; Ahrens, Thomas J.

    1987-01-01

    The melting curve of iron, the primary constituent of earth's core, has been measured to pressures of 250 gigapascals with a combination of static and dynamic techniques. The melting temperature of iron at the pressure of the core-mantle boundary (136 GPa) is 4800 + or - 200 K, whereas at the inner core-outer core boundary (330 GPa), it is 7600 + or - 500 K. A melting temperature for iron-rich alloy of 6600 K at the inner core-outer core boundary and a maximum temperature of 6900 K at earth's center are inferred. This latter value is the first experimental upper bound on the temperature at earth's center, and these results imply that the temperature of the lower mantle is significantly less than that of the outer core.

  12. Role of mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamps, D. S.; Iaffaldano, G.; Calais, E.

    2015-01-01

    Present-day continental extension along the East African Rift System (EARS) has often been attributed to diverging sublithospheric mantle flow associated with the African Superplume. This implies a degree of viscous coupling between mantle and lithosphere that remains poorly constrained. Recent advances in estimating present-day opening rates along the EARS from geodesy offer an opportunity to address this issue with geodynamic modeling of the mantle-lithosphere system. Here we use numerical models of the global mantle-plates coupled system to test the role of present-day mantle flow in Nubia-Somalia plate divergence across the EARS. The scenario yielding the best fit to geodetic observations is one where torques associated with gradients of gravitational potential energy stored in the African highlands are resisted by weak continental faults and mantle basal drag. These results suggest that shear tractions from diverging mantle flow play a minor role in present-day Nubia-Somalia divergence.

  13. Effects of iron on the lattice thermal conductivity of Earth's deep mantle and implications for mantle dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Wen-Pin; Deschamps, Frédéric; Okuchi, Takuo; Lin, Jung-Fu

    2018-04-17

    Iron may critically influence the physical properties and thermochemical structures of Earth's lower mantle. Its effects on thermal conductivity, with possible consequences on heat transfer and mantle dynamics, however, remain largely unknown. We measured the lattice thermal conductivity of lower-mantle ferropericlase to 120 GPa using the ultrafast optical pump-probe technique in a diamond anvil cell. The thermal conductivity of ferropericlase with 56% iron significantly drops by a factor of 1.8 across the spin transition around 53 GPa, while that with 8-10% iron increases monotonically with pressure, causing an enhanced iron substitution effect in the low-spin state. Combined with bridgmanite data, modeling of our results provides a self-consistent radial profile of lower-mantle thermal conductivity, which is dominated by pressure, temperature, and iron effects, and shows a twofold increase from top to bottom of the lower mantle. Such increase in thermal conductivity may delay the cooling of the core, while its decrease with iron content may enhance the dynamics of large low shear-wave velocity provinces. Our findings further show that, if hot and strongly enriched in iron, the seismic ultralow velocity zones have exceptionally low conductivity, thus delaying their cooling.

  14. Heat transfer correlations in mantle tanks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Furbo, Simon; Knudsen, Søren

    2005-01-01

    on calculations with a CFD-model, which has earlier been validated by means of experiments. The CFD-model is used to determine the heat transfer between the solar collector fluid in the mantle and the walls surrounding the mantle in all levels of the mantle as well as the heat transfer between the wall...... transfer correlations are suitable as input for a detailed simulation model for mantle tanks. The heat transfer correlations determined in this study are somewhat different from previous reported heat transfer correlations. The reason is that this study includes more mantle tank designs and operation......Small solar domestic hot water systems are best designed as low flow systems based on vertical mantle tanks. Theoretical investigations of the heat transfer in differently designed vertical mantle tanks during different operation conditions have been carried out. The investigations are based...

  15. Calcium isotopic composition of mantle peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, F.; Kang, J.; Zhang, Z.

    2015-12-01

    Ca isotopes are useful to decipher mantle evolution and the genetic relationship between the Earth and chondrites. It has been observed that Ca isotopes can be fractionated at high temperature [1-2]. However, Ca isotopic composition of the mantle peridotites and fractionation mechanism are still poorly constrained. Here, we report Ca isotope composition of 12 co-existing pyroxene pairs in 10 lherzolites, 1 harzburgite, and 1 wehrlite xenoliths collected from Hainan Island (South Eastern China). Ca isotope data were measured on a Triton-TIMS using the double spike method at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS. The long-term external error is 0.12‰ (2SD) based on repeated analyses of NIST SRM 915a and geostandards. δ44Ca of clinopyroxenes except that from the wehrlite ranges from 0.85‰ to 1.14‰, while opx yields a wide range from 0.98‰ up to 2.16‰. Co-existing pyroxene pairs show large Δ44Caopx-cpx (defined as δ44Caopx-δ44Cacpx) ranging from 0 to 1.23‰, reflecting equilibrium fractionation controlled by variable Ca contents in the opx. Notably, clinopyroxene of wehrlite shows extremely high δ44Ca (3.22‰). δ44Ca of the bulk lherzolites and harzburgites range from 0.86‰ to 1.14‰. This can be explained by extracting melts with slightly light Ca isotopic compositions. Finally, the high δ44Ca of the wehrlite (3.22‰) may reflect metasomatism by melt which has preferentially lost light Ca isotopes due to chemical diffusion during upwelling through the melt channel. [1] Amini et al (2009) GGR 33; [2] Huang et al (2010) EPSL 292.

  16. Tracing changes in mantle and crustal influences in individual cone-building stages at Mt. Shasta using U-Th and Sr isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wende, Allison M.; Johnson, Clark M.; Beard, Brian L.

    2015-10-01

    230Th-excess is rare in most arc lavas, but common in the Cascades, yet the origin of such excesses remains unclear. At Mt. Shasta, age-corrected (230Th/232Th) and (238U/232Th) activity ratios range from 1.108 to 1.290 and from 0.987 to 1.309 (27.3% 230Th-excess to 6.1% 238U-excess), respectively. Although small degrees of zircon crystallization (ancestral cone (Sand Flat) was followed by four cone-building stages, three of which lie in the age range of U-series geochronology. Lavas within individual eruptive stages have relatively constant (230Th/232Th)0 ratios that are interpreted to reflect specific mixtures of mantle (m) and lower crustal (lc) melts that are characteristic of a specific stage (Mm:lc). High (230Th/232Th)0 ratios identify higher proportions of lower crust in the Misery Hill stage (Mm:lc = ∼ 85 : 15), whereas low (230Th/232Th)0 ratios reflect the more mantle-like composition of the Shastina lavas (Mm:lc = ∼ 95 : 5); in the case of Shastina lavas, very low 87Sr/86Sr ratios, down to 0.7029, support a substantial mantle contribution. Changes in (230Th/232Th)0 ratios correlate with eruptive volume, where the most voluminous stage (Misery Hill) is inferred to have the largest proportion of crustal melt and highest (230Th/232Th)0 ratios. Variable (230Th/238U)0 ratios within, and between, eruptive groups likely reflect a combination of residence time in the lower crust and differential assimilation of bulk, non-garnet-bearing crust that had (230Th/238U) = 1. The volume-(230Th/232Th)0 relations are accompanied by correlations with 87Sr/86Sr ratios, where the most radiogenic Sr is associated with the largest eruptive volumes, indicating that the largest magmatic episodes produced the largest amount of lower crustal interaction. The new U-Th and Sr isotope measurements of this study, along with U-series data for other Cascade centers suggest that interaction with the lower crust exerts greater control on Cascade magma chemistry than previously

  17. Beyond low-level activity: On a 'non-radioactive' gas mantle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poljanc, Karin [Atominstitut der Osterreichischen Universitaeten, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Steinhauser, Georg [Atominstitut der Osterreichischen Universitaeten, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: georg.steinhauser@ati.ac.at; Sterba, Johannes H. [Atominstitut der Osterreichischen Universitaeten, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Buchtela, Karl [Atominstitut der Osterreichischen Universitaeten, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Bichler, Max [Atominstitut der Osterreichischen Universitaeten, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria)

    2007-03-01

    Gas mantles for camping gas lanterns sometimes contain thorium compounds. During the last years, the use of thorium-free gas mantles has become more and more popular due to the avoidance of a radioactive heavy metal. We investigated a gas mantle type that is declared to be 'non-radioactive' and that can be bought in Austria at the moment. Methods used were Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), {gamma}-spectroscopy, and Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC). We found massive thorium contents of up to 259 mg per gas mantle. Leaching experiments showed that only 0.4% of the Th but approximately 90% of the decay products of {sup 232}Th can be leached under conditions simulating sucking and chewing with human saliva. In this paper, the investigation of these gas mantles including the consideration of the environmental hazard caused by disposed mantles and the health hazard for unsuspecting consumers is presented and legal consequences are discussed for this fraud.

  18. Water in geodynamical models of mantle convection and plate tectonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-González, J.; Van Hunen, J.; Chotalia, K.; Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. R.; Rozel, A.; Tackley, P. J.; Nakagawa, T.

    2017-12-01

    The presence of water in the the mantle has a significant effect in the dynamical and thermal evolution of Earth, which partially explains the differences with other planets and is a key factor for the presence of life on Earth. First, a small amount of water can decrease the mantle viscosity by a several orders of magnitude, thereby changing the convection regime and affecting the thermal evolution. Second, the presence of water significantly changes the solidus curve, with crucial implications for melting. Third, water in the mantle can change the Clapeyron slope of mantle materials, which changes the depth at which phase transitions take place. The thermal and dynamical evolution of Earth under the presence of water in the mantle has been the focus of recent studies, but many questions remain unanswered. In this project we intend to investigate how the maximum water capacity of different mantle regions affects water transport and Earth's convective regime. We will study the effect phase transitions under the presence of water, which can change the buoyancy of slabs in the transition zone. We present preliminary results numerical models of global mantle convection for the whole history of earth using the numerical geodynamics software tool StagYY. We will use a new parametrisation of dehydration processes, obtained from high-resolution numerical simulations, to implement a more accurate description of the water released from the slab as it travels through the mantle. We have integrated recent experimental results of the water capacity of deep mantle minerals to study the water circulation and the total water budget. We use data from the most recent experiments and ab-inito calculations to implement a realistic rheology.

  19. Intracratonic asthenosphere upwelling and lithosphere rejuvenation beneath the Hoggar swell (Algeria): Evidence from HIMU metasomatised lherzolite mantle xenoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beccaluva, L.; Azzouni-Sekkal, A.; Benhallou, A.; Bianchini, G.; Ellam, R. M.; Marzola, M.; Siena, F.; Stuart, F. M.

    2007-08-01

    The mantle xenoliths included in Quaternary alkaline volcanics from the Manzaz-district (Central Hoggar) are proto-granular, anhydrous spinel lherzolites. Major and trace element analyses on bulk rocks and constituent mineral phases show that the primary compositions are widely overprinted by metasomatic processes. Trace element modelling of the metasomatised clinopyroxenes allows the inference that the metasomatic agents that enriched the lithospheric mantle were highly alkaline carbonate-rich melts such as nephelinites/melilitites (or as extreme silico-carbonatites). These metasomatic agents were characterized by a clear HIMU Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic signature, whereas there is no evidence of EM1 components recorded by the Hoggar Oligocene tholeiitic basalts. This can be interpreted as being due to replacement of the older cratonic lithospheric mantle, from which tholeiites generated, by asthenospheric upwelling dominated by the presence of an HIMU signature. Accordingly, this rejuvenated lithosphere (accreted asthenosphere without any EM influence), may represent an appropriate mantle section from which deep alkaline basic melts could have been generated and shallower mantle xenoliths sampled, respectively. The available data on lherzolite xenoliths and alkaline lavas (including He isotopes, Ra Pan-African basement. This can be considered a far-field foreland reaction of the Africa-Europe collisional system since the Eocene.

  20. Geochemical characteristics of Antarctic magmatism connected with Karoo-Maud and Kerguelen mantle plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sushchevskaya, Nadezhda; Krymsky, Robert; Belyatsky, Boris; Antonov, Anton; Migdisova, Natalya

    2013-04-01

    dykes of the Schirmacher Oasis and basalts and dolerites of the Queen Maud Land (180 Ma) are identical in petrology and geochemistry terms and supposedly could be interpreted as the manifestation of the Karoo-Maud plume activity in Antarctica [Sushchevskaya et al., 2012]. The spatial distribution of the dikes indicates the eastward spreading of the plume material from DML to the Schirmacher Oasis within at least 10 Ma (up to ~35 Ma, taking into account the uncertainty of age determination). On the other hand, the considerable duration and multistage character of plume magmatism related to the activity of the Karoo-Maud plume in Antarctica and Africa [Leat et al., 2007; Luttinen et al., 2002] may indicate that the Mesozoic dikes of the oasis correspond to a single stage of plume magmatism. On the basis of obtained isotopic data it has been determined two magmatic melt evolution trends for basalts from: Queen Maud Land - Kerguelen Archipelago - Afanasy Nikitin Rise (Indian Ocean) and Jetty - Schirmacher oasises which mantle sources are quite different. Thus the Jetty - Schirmacher oasises magmatic melt sources are characterized by prevalence of the matter of moderately enriched or primitive chondritic mantle source and lithospheric mantle of Proterozoic ages but the substances of depleted mantle source similar to MORB-type and ancient mantle are absent. New data obtained on Nd, Sr, Pb isotopic and lithophile elements compositions of the alkaline-ultrabasic rocks from the Jetty oasis and Gaussberg volcano completed imagine of the Kerguelen-plume evolution. It has been confirmed unique character of the alkaline lamproiites of the Gaussberg volcano enrichments. Highly radiogenic Sr and Pb isotope ratios of these lamproiites reflect melting of the ancient sublithospheric depleted mantle which was stored from the Archean till nowadays unaffected by metasomatic-enrichment processes. During modern melting of this mantle part there is input of additional substances (crustal fluid

  1. Luna 24 ferrobasalt as a low-Mg primary melt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norman, M.; Ryder, G.

    1980-01-01

    Luna 24 very-low titanium (VLT) ferrobasalts, metabasalts, brown glasses and impact melts form a tight compositional cluster with no gradation to other groupings postulated for the Luna 24 core components. This suggests that the Luna 24 VLT ferrobasalt was extruded as a liquid of its own composition and was not derived by fractional crystallization from a more magnesian parent in a surface flow. Furthermore, the characteristics of the core lithologies are not easily visualized as components of such a differential flow, e.g. brown glasses. Gravitative settling models purporting to demonstrate the validity of the flow differentiation model are merely permissive. Subsurface fractionation requires that plagioclase, not olivine, be the liquidus phase. The high-Mg component in the Luna 24 core can be constrained, though not identified, chemically, and it has neither the major element, trace element, isotopic, nor mineralogical characteristics required of a possible parent to the Luna 24 VLT ferrobasalt. Thus models of fractionation lack a physical expression of the less differentiated compositions, contrary to the belief that the high-Mg component in the core is the parent material. The Luna 24 VLT ferrobasalt is probably a primary low-Mg melt from a plagioclase-bearing source region, and may have undergone little or no fractionation prior to eruption. Such a model is compatible with, and suggested by, chemical and experimental data. Caution against posulating that all Mg-poor melts are fractionated products, based on terrestrial models, is advised. The terrestrial oceanic situation of 'primary melts' with similar Mg/Fe is probably not valid for the Moon. (Auth.)

  2. Experimental and geochemical evidence for derivation of the El Capitan Granite, California, by partial melting of hydrous gabbroic lower crust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratajeski, K.; Sisson, T.W.; Glazner, A.F.

    2005-01-01

    Partial melting of mafic intrusions recently emplaced into the lower crust can produce voluminous silicic magmas with isotopic ratios similar to their mafic sources. Low-temperature (825 and 850??C) partial melts synthesized at 700 MPa in biotite-hornblende gabbros from the central Sierra Nevada batholith (Sisson et al. in Contrib Mineral Petrol 148:635-661, 2005) have major-element and modeled trace-element (REE, Rb, Ba, Sr, Th, U) compositions matching those of the Cretaceous El Capitan Granite, a prominent granite and silicic granodiorite pluton in the central part of the Sierra Nevada batholith (Yosemite, CA, USA) locally mingled with coeval, isotopically similar quartz diorite through gabbro intrusions (Ratajeski et al. in Geol Soc Am Bull 113:1486-1502, 2001). These results are evidence that the El Capitan Granite, and perhaps similar intrusions in the Sierra Nevada batholith with lithospheric-mantle-like isotopic values, were extracted from LILE-enriched, hydrous (hornblende-bearing) gabbroic rocks in the Sierran lower crust. Granitic partial melts derived by this process may also be silicic end members for mixing events leading to large-volume intermediate composition Sierran plutons such as the Cretaceous Lamarck Granodiorite. Voluminous gabbroic residues of partial melting may be lost to the mantle by their conversion to garnet-pyroxene assemblages during batholithic magmatic crustal thickening. ?? Springer-Verlag 2005.

  3. A hybrid origin of the Martian crustal dichotomy: Degree-1 convection antipodal to a giant impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Citron, Robert I.; Manga, Michael; Tan, Eh

    2018-06-01

    The Martian crustal dichotomy is the stark ∼5 km difference in surface elevation and ∼26 km difference in crustal thickness between the northern lowlands and southern highlands that originated within 100s of Myr of Mars' formation. The origin of the dichotomy has broad implications for the geodynamic history of Mars, but purely exogenic or endogenic theories so far cannot explain all of the large scale geophysical observations associated with dichotomy formation. A giant impact can produce the shape and slope of the dichotomy boundary, but struggles to explain Mars' remanent crustal magnetic signatures and the ultimate formation of Tharsis. Degree-1 mantle convection can relate the crustal dichotomy to the formation of Tharsis, but does not explain the elliptical dichotomy shape and must be initiated by a large pre-existing viscosity jump in the mantle. We propose a hybrid model of dichotomy formation in which a giant impact induces degree-1 convection with an upwelling antipodal to the impact site. In this scenario, a giant impact in the northern hemisphere excavates crust, creating an initial difference in crustal thickness and possibly composition between the two hemispheres. Over 10s to 100s of Myr, the dominant upwelling(s) would migrate to be under the thicker, insulating crust in the southern hemisphere, generating melt that further thickens the southern crust. We examine this process using 3-D mantle convection simulations, and find that a hemispherical difference in crustal thickness and composition caused by a giant impact can induce degree-1 convection with the upwelling(s) antipodal to the impact site in <100 Myr.

  4. A volatile-rich Earth's core inferred from melting temperature of core materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morard, G.; Andrault, D.; Antonangeli, D.; Nakajima, Y.; Auzende, A. L.; Boulard, E.; Clark, A. N.; Lord, O. T.; Cervera, S.; Siebert, J.; Garbarino, G.; Svitlyk, V.; Mezouar, M.

    2016-12-01

    Planetary cores are mainly constituted of iron and nickel, alloyed with lighter elements (Si, O, C, S or H). Understanding how these elements affect the physical and chemical properties of solid and liquid iron provides stringent constraints on the composition of the Earth's core. In particular, melting curves of iron alloys are key parameter to establish the temperature profile in the Earth's core, and to asses the potential occurrence of partial melting at the Core-Mantle Boundary. Core formation models based on metal-silicate equilibration suggest that Si and O are the major light element components1-4, while the abundance of other elements such as S, C and H is constrained by arguments based on their volatility during planetary accretion5,6. Each compositional model implies a specific thermal state for the core, due to the different effect that light elements have on the melting behaviour of Fe. We recently measured melting temperatures in Fe-C and Fe-O systems at high pressures, which complete the data sets available both for pure Fe7 and other binary alloys8. Compositional models with an O- and Si-rich outer core are suggested to be compatible with seismological constraints on density and sound velocity9. However, their crystallization temperatures of 3650-4050 K at the CMB pressure of 136 GPa are very close to, if not higher than the melting temperature of the silicate mantle and yet mantle melting above the CMB is not a ubiquitous feature. This observation requires significant amounts of volatile elements (S, C or H) in the outer core to further reduce the crystallisation temperature of the core alloy below that of the lower mantle. References 1. Wood, B. J., et al Nature 441, 825-833 (2006). 2. Siebert, J., et al Science 339, 1194-7 (2013). 3. Corgne, A., et al Earth Planet. Sc. Lett. 288, 108-114 (2009). 4. Fischer, R. a. et al. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 167, 177-194 (2015). 5. Dreibus, G. & Palme, H. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60, 1125-1130 (1995). 6. Mc

  5. Plate-Tectonic Circulation is Driven by Cooling From the Top and is Closed Within the Upper Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, W. B.

    2001-12-01

    Subduction drives plate tectonics and is due to cooling from the top: circulation is self-organized, and likely is closed above the discontinuity near 660 km. The contrary consensus that plate tectonics is driven by bottom heating and involves the entire mantle combines misunderstood kinematics with flawed concepts of through-the-mantle plumes and subduction. Plume conjecture came from the Emperor-Hawaii progression, the 45 Ma inflection in which was assumed to mark a 60-degree change in direction of that part of the Pacific plate over a fixed plume. Smooth spreading patterns around the east and south margin of the Pacific plate, and paleomagnetic data, disprove such a change. Speculations that plumes move, jump, etc. do not revive falsified conjecture. Geochemical distinctions between enriched island and depleted ridge basalts (which overlap) are expected products of normal upper-mantle processes, not plumes. MORB traverses solidus-T asthenosphere, whereas OIB zone-refines through subsolidus lithosphere and crust, crystallizing refractories to retain T of diminishing melt while assimilating and retaining fusibles. Tomographic inference of deep-mantle subduction is presented misleadingly and may reflect methodological and sampling artifacts (downward smearing, and concentration of recorded body waves in bundles within broad anomalies otherwise poorly sampled). Planetological and other data require hot Earth accretion, and thorough early fractionation, from material much more refractory than primitive meteorites, and are incompatible with the little-fractionated lower mantle postulated to permit whole-mantle circulation. The profound seismic discontinuity near 660 km is a thermodynamic and physical barrier to easy mass transfer in either direction. Refractory lower mantle convects slowly, perhaps in layers, and loses primarily original heat, whereas upper mantle churns rapidly, and the 660 decoupling boundary must have evolved into a compositional barrier also

  6. The origin of high-Mg magmas in Mt Shasta and Medicine Lake volcanoes, Cascade Arc (California): higher and lower than mantle oxygen isotope signatures attributed to current and past subduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, E.; Bindeman, I.; Grove, T. L.

    2011-11-01

    We report the oxygen isotope composition of olivine and orthopyroxene phenocrysts in lavas from the main magma types at Mt Shasta and Medicine Lake Volcanoes: primitive high-alumina olivine tholeiite (HAOT), basaltic andesites (BA), primitive magnesian andesites (PMA), and dacites. The most primitive HAOT (MgO > 9 wt%) from Mt. Shasta has olivine δ18O (δ18OOl) values of 5.9-6.1‰, which are about 1‰ higher than those observed in olivine from normal mantle-derived magmas. In contrast, HAOT lavas from Medicine Lake have δ18OOl values ranging from 4.7 to 5.5‰, which are similar to or lower than values for olivine in equilibrium with mantle-derived magmas. Other magma types from both volcanoes show intermediate δ18OOl values. The oxygen isotope composition of the most magnesian lavas cannot be explained by crustal contamination and the trace element composition of olivine phenocrysts precludes a pyroxenitic mantle source. Therefore, the high and variable δ18OOl signature of the most magnesian samples studied (HAOT and BA) comes from the peridotitic mantle wedge itself. As HAOT magma is generated by anhydrous adiabatic partial melting of the shallow mantle, its 1.4‰ range in δ18OOl reflects a heterogeneous composition of the shallow mantle source that has been influenced by subduction fluids and/or melts sometime in the past. Magmas generated in the mantle wedge by flux melting due to modern subduction fluids, as exemplified by BA and probably PMA, display more homogeneous composition with only 0.5‰ variation. The high-δ18O values observed in magnesian lavas, and principally in the HAOT, are difficult to explain by a single-stage flux-melting process in the mantle wedge above the modern subduction zone and require a mantle source enriched in 18O. It is here explained by flow of older, pre-enriched portions of the mantle through the slab window beneath the South Cascades.

  7. Crust-mantle contribution to Andean magmatism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz, J; Hildreth, W; Chesley, J

    2001-01-01

    There has long been great interest in quantifying the contributions of the continental crust to continental arc magmas, such as those of the Andes using osmium isotopes (Alves et al., 1999; Borg et al., 2000; Brandon et al., 1996; McInnes et al., 1999). In general, Andean volcanic rocks of all compositions show relatively low Sr-isotope ratios and positive to mildly negative epsilon Nd values. Nonetheless, in the Southern Volcanic Zone of central Chile, basalt-andesite-dacite volcanoes along the Quaternary volcanic front were shown (by Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988) to have latitudinally systematic chemical variations, as well as a monotonic increase in 87Sr/Sr86 from ca. 0.7035 to 0.7055 and a decrease in epsilon Nd values from ca. +3 to -1. The isotopic variations correlate with basement elevation of the volcanic edifices and with Bouguer gravity anomalies, both of which are thought to reflect along-arc variations in thickness and average age of the underlying crust. Volcanoes with the most evolved isotopic signatures were fed through the thickest crust. Correlation of chemical and isotopic variations with crustal thickness was interpreted to be caused by Melting (of deep-crustal host rocks), Assimilation, Storage, and Homogenization (MASH) of mantle-derived magmas in long-lived lower-crustal reservoirs beneath each center prior to eruption. We have now determined Os-isotope ratios for a sample suite from these volcanoes (33-36 S lat.), representing a range of crustal thickness from ca. 60-35 km. The samples range in MgO from ca. 8-4% and in SiO2 from 51-57%. The most evolved eruptive products occur above the thickest crust and have 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7054 and epsilon Nd values of -1.5. The 187Os/188Os ratios correlate with the other isotopic systems and with crustal thickness. Volcanoes on the thinnest crust have 187Os/188Os ratios of 0.18-0.21. Those on the thickest crust have 187Os/188Os ratios as high as 0.64. All the Os values are much too radiogenic to

  8. Low-Frequency Internal Friction Study on the Structural Changes in Polymer Melts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue-Bang, Wu; Qiao-Ling, Xu; Shu-Ying, Shang; Jia-Peng, Shui; Chang-Song, Liu; Zhen-Gang, Zhu

    2008-01-01

    With the help of the low-frequency internal friction method, we investigate the structural properties of polymer melts, such as amorphous polystyrene (PS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and semi-crystalline poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). An obvious peak of relaxation type is found in each of the internal friction curves. The peak temperature T p follows the relation T p ≈ (1.15 – 1.18) T g for PS and PMMA melts, while it follows T p ≈ 1.22T m for PEO melt, with T g being the glass transition temperature and T m the melting temperature. Based on the analysis of the features of this peak, it is found that this peak is related to the liquid-liquid transition temperature T u of polymer melts. Mechanism of the liquid-liquid transition is suggested to be thermally-activated collective relaxation through cooperation. This finding may be helpful to understand the structural changes in polymer melts. In addition, the internal friction technique proves to be effective in studying dynamics in polymer melts

  9. Conductivity structure of crust and mantle in the northeastern Japan prospected by MT and GEMIT method. 1. ; East to west section along 40[degree]40'N traverse

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nabetani, S; Maekawa, K; Uchida, K [Hirosaki Univ., Aomori (Japan). Faculty of Science

    1992-08-31

    In order to investigate geophysical structure, especially conductivity structure, of the crust and the mantle in the northeastern Japan, exploration was carried out by MT and GEMIT method. The GEMIT is an electromagnetic prospecting method recently developed, which means geo-electromagnetic induction tomography. This report concerns the first traverse carried out on the above-mentioned area in 1990. Thirty six observation points were located at latitude 40[degree]35 to 45'N from the sea of Japan to the Pacific Ocean. Three components of geomagnetic field and two horizontal components of electric field were measured at each point. Geomagnetic and differential electric fields detected by a system of three induction magnetometers and two sets of differential electrodes were recorded by 14-bit digital recorder. Planar and sectional distribution of resistivity in the crust and the mantle was profiled been on these data. In this paper, these profiles are shown and structure of the upper and lower crust and the mantle is discussed. 6 refs., 5 figs.

  10. Evidence of denser MgSiO3 glass above 133 gigapascal (GPa) and implications for remnants of ultradense silicate melt from a deep magma ocean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Motohiko; Bass, Jay D

    2011-10-18

    Ultralow velocity zones are the largest seismic anomalies in the mantle, with 10-30% seismic velocity reduction observed in thin layers less than 20-40 km thick, just above the Earth's core-mantle boundary (CMB). The presence of silicate melts, possibly a remnant of a deep magma ocean in the early Earth, have been proposed to explain ultralow velocity zones. It is, however, still an open question as to whether such silicate melts are gravitationally stable at the pressure conditions above the CMB. Fe enrichment is usually invoked to explain why melts would remain at the CMB, but this has not been substantiated experimentally. Here we report in situ high-pressure acoustic velocity measurements that suggest a new transformation to a denser structure of MgSiO(3) glass at pressures close to those of the CMB. The result suggests that MgSiO(3) melt is likely to become denser than crystalline MgSiO(3) above the CMB. The presence of negatively buoyant and gravitationally stable silicate melts at the bottom of the mantle, would provide a mechanism for observed ultralow seismic velocities above the CMB without enrichment of Fe in the melt. An ultradense melt phase and its geochemical inventory would be isolated from overlying convective flow over geologic time.

  11. Lithology and temperature: How key mantle variables control rift volcanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shorttle, O.; Hoggard, M.; Matthews, S.; Maclennan, J.

    2015-12-01

    Continental rifting is often associated with extensive magmatic activity, emplacing millions of cubic kilometres of basalt and triggering environmental change. The lasting geological record of this volcanic catastrophism are the large igneous provinces found at the margins of many continents and abrupt extinctions in the fossil record, most strikingly that found at the Permo-Triassic boundary. Rather than being considered purely a passive plate tectonic phenomenon, these episodes are frequently explained by the involvement of mantle plumes, upwellings of mantle rock made buoyant by their high temperatures. However, there has been debate over the relative role of the mantle's temperature and composition in generating the large volumes of magma involved in rift and intra-plate volcanism, and even when the mantle is inferred to be hot, this has been variously attributed to mantle plumes or continental insulation effects. To help resolve these uncertainties we have combined geochemical, geophysical and modelling results in a two stage approach: Firstly, we have investigated how mantle composition and temperature contribute to melting beneath Iceland, the present day manifestation of the mantle plume implicated in the 54Ma break up of the North Atlantic. By considering both the igneous crustal production on Iceland and the chemistry of its basalts we have been able to place stringent constraints on the viable temperature and lithology of the Icelandic mantle. Although a >100°C excess temperature is required to generate Iceland's thick igneous crust, geochemistry also indicates that pyroxenite comprises 10% of its source. Therefore, the dynamics of rifting on Iceland are modulated both by thermal and compositional mantle anomalies. Secondly, we have performed a global assessment of the mantle's post break-up thermal history to determine the amplitude and longevity of continental insulation in driving excess volcanism. Using seismically constrained igneous crustal

  12. The Mantle and Basalt-Crust Interaction Below the Mount Taylor Volcanic Field, New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schrader, Christian M.; Crumpler, Larry S.; Schmidt, Marick E.

    2010-01-01

    The Mount Taylor Volcanic Field (MTVF) lies on the Jemez Lineament on the southeastern margin of the Colorado Plateau. The field is centered on the Mt. Taylor composite volcano and includes Mesa Chivato to the NE and Grants Ridge to the WSW. MTVF magmatism spans approximately 3.8-1.5 Ma (K-Ar). Magmas are dominantly alkaline with mafic compositions ranging from basanite to hy-basalt and felsic compositions ranging from ne-trachyte to rhyolite. We are investigating the state of the mantle and the spatial and temporal variation in basalt-crustal interaction below the MTVF by examining mantle xenoliths and basalts in the context of new mapping and future Ar-Ar dating. The earliest dated magmatism in the field is a basanite flow south of Mt. Taylor. Mantle xenolith-bearing alkali basalts and basanites occur on Mesa Chivato and in the region of Mt. Taylor, though most basalts are peripheral to the main cone. Xenolith-bearing magmatism persists at least into the early stages of conebuilding. Preliminary examination of the mantle xenolith suite suggests it is dominantly lherzolitic but contains likely examples of both melt-depleted (harzburgitic) and melt-enriched (clinopyroxenitic) mantle. There are aphyric and crystal-poor hawaiites, some of which are hy-normative, on and near Mt. Taylor, but many of the more evolved MTVF basalts show evidence of complex histories. Mt. Taylor basalts higher in the cone-building sequence contain >40% zoned plagioclase pheno- and megacrysts. Other basalts peripheral to Mt. Taylor and at Grants Ridge contain clinopyroxene and plagioclase megacrysts and cumulate-textured xenoliths, suggesting they interacted with lower crustal cumulates. Among the questions we are addressing: What was the chemical and thermal state of the mantle recorded by the basaltic suites and xenoliths and how did it change with time? Are multiple parental basalts (Si-saturated vs. undersaturated) represented and, if so, what changes in the mantle or in the tectonic

  13. Flow in the Deep Mantle from Seisimc Anisotropy: Progress and Prospects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, M. D.

    2017-12-01

    Observations of seismic anisotropy, or the directional dependence of seismic wavespeeds, provide one some of the most direct constraints on the pattern of flow in the Earth's mantle. In particular, as our understanding of crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of olivine aggregates under a range of deformation conditions has improved, our ability to exploit observations of upper mantle anisotropy has led to fundamental discoveries about the patterns of flow in the upper mantle and the drivers of that flow. It has been a challenge, however, to develop a similar framework for understanding flow in the deep mantle (transition zone, uppermost lower mantle, and lowermost mantle), even though there is convincing observational evidence for seismic anisotropy at these depths. Recent progress on the observational front has allowed for an increasingly detailed view of mid-mantle anisotropy (transition zone and uppermost lower mantle), particularly in subduction systems, which may eventually lead to a better understanding of mid-mantle deformation and the dynamics of slab interaction with the surrounding mid-mantle. New approaches to the observation and modeling of lowermost mantle anisotropy, in combination with constraints from mineral physics, are progressing towards interpretive frameworks that allow for the discrimination of different mantle flow geometries in different regions of D". In particular, observational strategies that involve the use of multiple types of body wave phases sampled over a range of propagation azimuths enable detailed forward modeling approaches that can discriminate between different mechanisms for D" anisotropy (e.g., CPO of post-perovskite, bridgmanite, or ferropericlase, or shape preferred orientation of partial melt) and identify plausible anisotropic orientations. We have recently begun to move towards a full waveform modeling approach in this work, which allows for a more accurate simulation for seismic wave propagation. Ongoing

  14. Sulfide enrichment at an oceanic crust-mantle transition zone: Kane Megamullion (23°N, MAR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciazela, Jakub; Koepke, Juergen; Dick, Henry J. B.; Botcharnikov, Roman; Muszynski, Andrzej; Lazarov, Marina; Schuth, Stephan; Pieterek, Bartosz; Kuhn, Thomas

    2018-06-01

    The Kane Megamullion oceanic core complex located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (23°30‧N, 45°20‧W) exposes lower crust and upper mantle directly on the ocean floor. We studied chalcophile elements and sulfides in the ultramafic and mafic rocks of the crust-mantle transition and the mantle underneath. We determined mineralogical and elemental composition and the Cu isotope composition of the respective sulfides along with the mineralogical and elemental composition of the respective serpentines. The rocks of the crust-mantle transition zone (i.e., plagioclase harzburgite, peridotite-gabbro contacts, and dunite) overlaid by troctolites are by one order of magnitude enriched in several chalcophile elements with respect to the spinel harzburgites of the mantle beneath. Whereas the range of Cu concentrations in spinel harzburgites is 7-69 ppm, the Cu concentrations are highly elevated in plagioclase harzburgites with a range of 90-209 ppm. The zones of the peridotite-gabbro contacts are even more enriched, exhibiting up to 305 ppm Cu and highly elevated concentrations of As, Zn, Ga, Sb and Tl. High Cu concentrations show pronounced correlation with bulk S concentrations at the crust-mantle transition zone implying an enrichment process in this horizon of the oceanic lithosphere. We interpret this enrichment as related to melt-mantle reaction, which is extensive in crust-mantle transition zones. In spite of the ubiquitous serpentinization of primary rocks, we found magmatic chalcopyrites [CuFeS2] as inclusions in plagioclase as well as associated with pentlandite [(Fe,Ni)9S8] and pyrrhotite [Fe1-xS] in polysulfide grains. These chalcopyrites show a primary magmatic δ65Cu signature ranging from -0.04 to +0.29 ‰. Other chalcopyrites have been dissolved during serpentinization. Due to the low temperature (enrichment, increased sulfide modes, and potentially formation of small sulfide deposits could be expected globally along the petrological Moho.

  15. Mineralogy of subducted clay and clay restite in the lower mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, L.; Skora, S. E.; Walter, M. J.

    2012-12-01

    Seismic tomography indicates that subducting oceanic lithosphere often penetrates the transition zone and eventually the lower mantle [e.g. 1, 2]. While mineralogical changes in the mafic and ultramafic portions of slabs have been well documented experimentally, the phase relations of overlying sediments at pressures above 25 GPa remain poorly studied. This is in part because sediments are expected to partially melt at sub-arc depth (P~2.5-4.5 GPa), and contribute to the genesis of arc magmas. Sediment restites left behind after the extraction of low pressure melts undergo major chemical changes, according to the melting reaction: Coe+Phen+Cpx+H2O = Grt+Ky+Melt [3]. However, sediments may not always melt depending on the thermal regime and volatile availability and composition [3]. Hence, chemically unmodified sediments as well as restites may be entrained to greater depths and contribute to compositional heterogeneity in the deep mantle. Indeed, mineral inclusions with compositions indicative of subducted sedimentary protoliths (CAS-phase; K-hollandite; stishovite) have been reported in 'ultradeep' diamonds and suggest that deep subduction and survival of sediments occurs to at least transition zone depths [4]. With this in mind, we have performed laser heated diamond anvil cell experiments at pressures of 8-80 GPa on two anhydrous glass starting materials: a marine clay and the restite that is left after 50% melt extraction of this clay at 3 GPa and 800 °C [3]. We chose to work with an anhydrous version of the marine clay given that the investigated pressure range exceeds that of phengite stability [5], and phengite is the only hydrous phase in subducted sediments at UHP conditions. The clay was heated along a P-T path representative of a cold subduction geotherm, whereas the clay restite was heated along a hotter subduction geotherm consistent with low pressure melting. Phases were identified by synchrotron X-ray micro-diffraction at beamline I15 of the Diamond

  16. Interaction of the lithospheric mantle and crustal melts for the generation of the Horoz pluton (Niğde, Turkey: whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic evidence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerim Kocak

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The Horoz pluton includes granitic and granodioritic rocks, with widespread mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs. Petrochemically, the rocks of the pluton show calc-alkaline to shoshonitic and metaluminous to slightly peraluminous composition. The rocks also exhibit an enrichment in large ion lithophile elements, e.g. Rb, K, and depletions of high field strength elements such as Y, Lu, and Mg#, Ni, with a slightly concave-upward rare earth element pattern. Both granitic and granodioritic rocks exhibit geochemical characteristics of tonalite, trondhjemite and granodiorite assemblages, possibly developed by the partial melting of a thickened lower crust. The granitoids have high concentrations of Na2O (2.6–4.5 wt%, Sr (347–599 ppm, intermediate-high (La/YbN (8.2–18.1, mostly >11 , Al2O3 (13.2–16.9 wt%, average 15.3 wt%, low MgO (0.2–1.4 wt%, average 0.84 wt% and Co (0.7–10.3 ppm. The MMEs include higher Na2O (4.5–5.5 wt%, Sr (389–1149 ppm, Al2O3 (16.9–19.2 wt%, average 17.8 wt%, MgO (1.4–4.4 wt%, average 2.75 wt% and Co (6.2–18.7 ppm contents in comparison with that of their hosts. There is a lack of negative Eu anomalies, except a few samples. Both host rocks and MMEs have a low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio (respectively 0.7046–0.7051 and 0.7047–0.7058, low eNd value (–1.8 to –0.2 and –0.6 to 0.7 at 50 Ma and highly radiogenic 208Pb/204Pb ratios (39.43–39.47 and 39.39–39.54. Whole-rock chemistry and isotopic data suggest that parent magmas of both MMEs and their hosts have derived from melts of the mixing between the lithospheric mantle and crustal end members, than fractional crystallization processes in crustal levels.

  17. Nd-isotopes in selected mantle-derived rocks and minerals and their implications for mantle evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, A.R.; Tatsumoto, M.

    1980-01-01

    The Sm-Nd systematics in a variety of mantle-derived samples including kimberlites, alnoite, carbonatite, pyroxene and amphibole inclusions in alkali basalts and xenolithic eclogites, granulites and a pyroxene megacryst in kimberlites are reported. The additional data on kimberlites strengthen our earlier conclusion that kimberlites are derived from a relatively undifferentiated chondritic mantle source. This conclusion is based on the observation that the e{open}Nd values of most of the kimberlites are near zero. In contrast with the kimberlites, their garnet lherzolite inclusions show both time-averaged Nd enrichment and depletion with respect to Sm. Separated clinopyroxenes in eclogite xenoliths from the Roberts Victor kimberlite pipe show both positive and negative e{open}Nd values suggesting different genetic history. A whole rock lower crustal scapolite granulite xenolith from the Matsoku kimberlite pipe shows a negative e{open}Nd value of -4.2, possibly representative of the base of the crust in Lesotho. It appears that all inclusions, mafic and ultramafic, in kimberlites are unrelated to their kimberlite host. The above data and additional Sm-Nd data on xenoliths in alkali basalts, alpine peridotite and alnoite-carbonatites are used to construct a model for the upper 200 km of the earth's mantle - both oceanic and continental. The essential feature of this model is the increasing degree of fertility of the mantle with depth. The kimberlite's source at depths below 200 km in the subcontinental mantle is the most primitive in this model, and this primitive layer is also extended to the suboceanic mantle. However, it is clear from the Nd-isotopic data in the xenoliths of the continental kimberlites that above 200 km the continental mantle is distinctly different from their suboceanic counterpart. ?? 1980 Springer-Verlag.

  18. The effects of magmatic redistribution of heat producing elements on the lunar mantle evolution inferred from numerical models that start from various initial states

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Masaki

    2018-02-01

    To discuss how redistribution of heat producing elements (HPEs) by magmatism affects the lunar mantle evolution depending on the initial condition, I present two-dimensional numerical models of magmatism in convecting mantle internally heated by incompatible HPEs. Mantle convection occurs beneath a stagnant lithosphere that inhibits recycling of the HPE-enriched crustal materials to the mantle. Magmatism is modeled by a permeable flow of magma generated by decompression melting through matrix. Migrating magma transports heat, mass, and HPEs. When the deep mantle is initially hot with the temperature TD around 1800 K at its base, magmatism starts from the beginning of the calculated history to extract HPEs from the mantle. The mantle is monotonously cooled, and magmatism ceases within 2 Gyr, accordingly. When the deep mantle is initially colder with TD around 1100 K, HPEs stay in the deep mantle for a longer time to let the planet be first heated up and then cooled only slightly. If, in addition, there is an HPE-enriched domain in the shallow mantle at the beginning of the calculation, magma continues ascending to the surface through the domain for more than 3 Gyr. The low TD models fit in with the thermal and magmatic history of the Moon inferred from spacecraft observations, although it is not clear if the models are consistent with the current understanding of the origin of the Moon and its magnetic field. Redistribution of HPEs by magmatism is a crucial factor that must be taken into account in future studies of the evolution of the Moon.

  19. Mantle-cell lymphoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barista, I; Romaguera, J E; Cabanillas, F

    2001-03-01

    During the past decade, mantle-cell lymphoma has been established as a new disease entity. The normal counterparts of the cells forming this malignant lymphoma are found in the mantle zone of the lymph node, a thin layer surrounding the germinal follicles. These cells have small to medium-sized nuclei, are commonly indented or cleaved, and stain positively with CD5, CD20, cyclin D1, and FMC7 antibodies. Because of its morphological appearance and a resemblance to other low-grade lymphomas, many of which grow slowly, this lymphoma was initially thought to be an indolent tumour, but its natural course was not thoroughly investigated until the 1990s, when the BCL1 oncogene was identified as a marker for this disease. Mantle-cell lymphoma is a discrete entity, unrelated to small lymphocytic or small-cleaved-cell lymphomas.

  20. Complex Seismic Anisotropy at the Edges of a Very-low Velocity Province in the Lowermost Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Y.; Wen, L.

    2005-12-01

    A prominent very-low velocity province (VLVP) in the lowermost mantle is revealed, and has been extensively mapped out in recent seismic studies (e.g., Wang and Wen, 2004). Seismic evidence unambiguously indicates that the VLVP is compositionally distinct, and its seismic structure can be best explained by partial melting driven by a compositional change produced in the early Earth's history (Wen, 2001; Wen et. al, 2001; Wang and Wen, 2004). In this presentation, we study the seismic anisotropic behavior inside the VLVP and its surrounding area using SKS and SKKS waveform data. We collect 272 deep earthquakes recorded by more than 80 stations in the Kaapvaal seismic array in southern Africa from 1997 to 1999. Based on the data quality, we choose SKS and SKKS waveform data for 16 earthquakes to measure the anisotropic parameters: the fast polarization direction and the splitting time, using the method of Silver and Chan (1991). A total of 162 high-quality measurements are obtained based on the statistics analysis of shear wave splitting results. The obtained anisotropy exhibits different patterns for the SKS and SKKS phases sampling inside the VLVP and at the edges of the VLVP. When the SKS and SKKS phases sample inside the VLVP, their fast polarization directions exhibit a pattern that strongly correlates with stations, gradually changing from 11°N~to 80°N~across the seismic array from south to north and rotating back to the North direction over short distances for several northernmost stations. The anisotropy pattern obtained from the analysis of the SKKS phases is the same as that from the SKS phases. However, when the SKS and SKKS phases sample at the edges of the VLVP, the measured anisotropy exhibits a very complex pattern. The obtained fast polarization directions change rapidly over a small distance, and they no longer correlate with stations; the measurements obtained from the SKS analysis also differ with those from the SKKS analysis. As the SKS and SKKS

  1. Spin crossover and Mott—Hubbard transition under high pressure and high temperature in the low mantle of the Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ovchinnikov, S. G.; Ovchinnikova, T. M.; Plotkin, V. V.; Dyad'kov, P. G.

    2015-11-01

    Effect of high pressure induced spin crossover on the magnetic, electronic and structural properties of the minerals forming the Earth's low mantle is discussed. The low temperature P, T phase diagram of ferropericlase has the quantum phase transition point Pc = 56 GPa at T = 0 confirmed recently by the synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy. The LDA+GTB calculated phase diagram describes the experimental data. Its extension to the high temperature resulted earlier in prediction of the metallic properties of the Earth's mantle at the depth 1400 km insulator transition and compare them with the experimental seismic and geomagnetic field data.

  2. Water contents of clinopyroxenes from sub-arc mantle peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Michael; Turner, Simon; Blatter, Dawnika; Maury, Rene; Perfit, Michael; Yogodzinski, Gene

    2017-01-01

    One poorly constrained reservoir of the Earth's water budget is that of clinopyroxene in metasomatised, mantle peridotites. This study presents reconnaissance Sensitive High-Resolution, Ion Microprobe–Stable Isotope (SHRIMP–SI) determinations of the H2O contents of (dominantly) clinopyroxenes in rare mantle xenoliths from four different subduction zones, i.e. Mexico, Kamchatka, Philippines, and New Britain (Tabar-Feni island chain) as well as one intra-plate setting (western Victoria). All of the sub-arc xenoliths have been metasomatised and carry strong arc trace element signatures. Average measured H2O contents of the pyroxenes range from 70 ppm to 510 ppm whereas calculated bulk H2O contents range from 88 ppm to 3 737 ppm if the variable presence of amphibole is taken into account. In contrast, the intra-plate, continental mantle xenolith from western Victoria has higher water contents (3 447 ppm) but was metasomatised by alkali and/or carbonatitic melts and does not carry a subduction-related signature. Material similar to the sub-arc peridotites can either be accreted to the base of the lithosphere or potentially be transported by convection deeper into the mantle where it will lose water due to amphibole breakdown.

  3. The role of eclogite in the mantle heterogeneity at Cape Verde

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barker, Abigail Katrine; Holm, Paul Martin; Troll, Valentin R.

    2014-01-01

    The Cape Verde hotspot, like many other Ocean Island Basalt provinces, demonstrates isotopic heterogeneity on a 100–200 km scale. The heterogeneity is represented by the appearance of an EM1-like component at several of the southern islands and with a HIMU-like component present throughout...... have been limited. We apply the minor elements in olivine approach (Sobolev et al. in Nature 434:590–597, 2005; Science, doi:10.1126/science.1138113, 2007), to determine and quantify the contributions of peridotite, pyroxenite and eclogite melts to the mantle heterogeneity observed at Cape Verde. Cores...... of olivine phenocrysts of the Cape Verde volcanics have low Mn/FeO and low Ni*FeO/MgO that deviate from the negative trend of the global array. The global array is defined by mixing between peridotite and pyroxenite, whereas the Cape Verde volcanics indicate contribution of an additional eclogite source...

  4. The Robustness of Tomographically Imaged Broad Plumes in the Deep Mantle: Constraints on Mantle Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanowicz, B. A.; Jiménez-Pérez, H.; Adourian, S.; Karaoglu, H.; French, S.

    2016-12-01

    Existing global 3D shear wave velocity models of the earth's mantle generally rely on simple ray theoretical assumptions regarding seismic wave propagation through a heterogeneous medium, and/or consider a limited number of seismic observables, such as surface wave dispersion and/or travel times of body waves (such as P or S) that are well separated on seismograms. While these assumptions are appropriate for resolving long wavelength structure, as evidenced from the good agreement at low degrees between models published in the last 10 years, it is well established that the assumption of ray theory limits the resolution of smaller scale low velocity structures. We recently developed a global radially anisotropic shear wave velocity model (SEMUCB_WM1, French and Romanowicz, 2014, 2015) based on time domain full waveform inversion of 3-component seismograms, including surface waves and overtones down to 60s period, as well as body waveforms down to 30s. At each iteration, the forward wavefield is calculated using the Spectral Element Method (SEM), which ensures the accurate computation of the misfit function. Inversion is performed using a fast converging Gauss-Newton formalism. The use of information from the entire seismogram, weighted according to energy arrivals, provides a unique illumination of the deep mantle, compensating for the uneven distribution of sources and stations. The most striking features of this model are the broad, vertically oriented plume-like conduits that extend from the core-mantle boundary to at least 1000 km depth in the vicinity of some 20 major hotspots located over the large low shear velocity provinces under the Pacific and Africa. We here present the results of various tests aimed at evaluating the robustness of these features. These include starting from a different initial model, to evaluate the effects of non-linearity in the inversion, as well as synthetic tests aimed at evaluating the recovery of plumes located in the middle of

  5. Corrosion Resistance of Steels and Armco-Fe in Lead Melt Saturated by Oxygen at 550 degree C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsisar, V.P.; Fedirko, V.N.; Eliseeva, O.I.

    2007-01-01

    Corrosion resistance of stainless steels and Armco-Fe in static lead melt saturated by oxygen at 550 degree C for 2000 h was investigated. It was determined that double oxide layer was formed on the surface of investigated materials. Outer part of double oxide growths from the initial interface 'solid metal/liquid lead' towards the melt and consists of Fe 3 O 4 . Inner part of double oxide based on the matrix is composed of Fe 3 O 4 for Armco-Fe, Fe 1+x Cr 2-x O 4 for martensitic 0.2 C-13 Cr and ferritic-martensitic EP823 steels and Fe 1+x Cr 2- xO 4 +Ni for austenitic 18Cr-10Ni-1Ti. Lead did not penetrate into the matrix of tested materials and was detected only in the scale formed on austenitic steel

  6. Compositional Variation of Terrestrial Mantle Apatites and Implications for the Halogen and Water Budgets of the Terrestrial Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roden, M.; Patino Douce, A. E.; Chaumba, J. B.; Fleisher, C.; Yogodzinski, G. M.

    2011-12-01

    Apatite in ultramafic xenoliths from various tectonic enviroments including arc (Kamchatka), plume (Hawaii), and intraplate (Lunar Crater, Nunivak, Colorado Plateau) were analyzed by electron microprobe with the aim of characterizing the Cl and F contents, and from these measured compositions to infer the nature of fluids/melts that the apatites equilibrated with. The impetus for the study derived from the generalization of O'Reilly and Griffin (1) that mantle-derived metasomatic apatites tend to be Cl-rich and mantle-derived igneous apatites tend to be F-rich. Our work largely corroborates their generalization with Cl- and/or H2O-rich compositions characterizing the apatites from Nunivak and Kamchatka while apatites from igneous or Group II xenoliths tend to be Cl-poor and be either nearly pure fluorapatite or a mix of hydroxylapatite and fluorapatite. We attribute the Cl-rich nature of the Kamchatka apatites to formation from Cl-rich fluids generated from subducted lithosphere; however the Nunivak occurrence is far removed from subducted lithosphere and may reflect a deep seated source for Cl as also indicated by brine inclusions in diamonds, Cl-rich apatites in carbonate-bearing xenoliths and a Cl-rich signature in some plumes such as Iceland, Azores and Samoa. One curious aspect of mantle-derived apatite compositions is that xenoliths with evidence of carbonatitic metasomatism commonly have Cl-rich apatites while apatites from carbonatites are invariably Cl-poor - perhaps reflecting loss of Cl in fluids evolved from the carbonatitic magma. Apatites from Group II xenoliths at Hawaii are solid solutions between fluorapatite and hydroxylapatite and show no evidence for deep-seated Cl at Hawaii. Samples of the terrestrial mantle are almost uniformly characterized by mineral assemblages with a single Ca-rich phosphate phase but the mantles of Mars, Vesta and the Moon have two Ca-rich phosphates, apatite and volatile-poor merrillite - apatite compositions existing

  7. Seismic structure of the western U.S. mantle and its relation to regional tectonic and magmatic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmandt, Brandon

    Vigorous convective activity in the western U.S. mantle has long been inferred from the region's widespread intra-plate crustal deformation, volcanism, and high elevations, but the specific form of convective activity and the degree and nature of lithospheric involvement have been strongly debated. I design a seismic travel-time tomography method and implement it with seismic data from the EarthScope Transportable Array and complementary arrays to constrain three-dimensional seismic structure beneath the western U.S. Tomographic images of variations in compressional velocity, shear velocity, and the ratio of shear to compressional velocity in the western U.S. mantle to a depth of 1000 km are produced. Using these results I investigate mantle physical properties, Cenozoic subduction history, and the influence of small-scale lithospheric convection on regional tectonic and magmatic activity, with particular focus on southern California and the Pacific Northwest. This dissertation includes previously published co-authored material. Chapter II presents a travel-time tomography method I designed and first implemented with data from southern California and the surrounding southwestern U.S. The resulting images provide a new level of constraint on upper mantle seismic anomalies beneath the Transverse Ranges, southern Great Valley, Salton Trough, and southwestern Nevada volcanic field. Chapter III presents tomographic images of the western U.S. mantle, identifies upper mantle volumes where partial melt is probable, and discusses implications of the apparently widespread occurrence of gravitational instabilities of continental lithsophere and the complex geometry and buoyancy of subducted ocean lithosphere imaged beneath the western U.S. In Chapter IV, tomography images are used in conjunction with geologic constraints on major transitions in crustal deformation and magmatism to construct a model for Pacific Northwest evolution since the Cretaceous. Accretion in the Pacific

  8. Inverse models of plate coupling and mantle rheology: Towards a direct link between large-scale mantle flow and mega thrust earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurnis, M.; Ratnaswamy, V.; Stadler, G.; Rudi, J.; Liu, X.; Ghattas, O.

    2017-12-01

    We are developing high-resolution inverse models for plate motions and mantle flow to recover the degree of mechanical coupling between plates and the non-linear and plastic parameters governing viscous flow within the lithosphere and mantle. We have developed adjoint versions of the Stokes equations with fully non-linear viscosity with a cost function that measures the fit with plate motions and with regional constrains on effective upper mantle viscosity (from post-glacial rebound and post seismic relaxation). In our earlier work, we demonstrate that when the temperature field is known, the strength of plate boundaries, the yield stress and strain rate exponent in the upper mantle are recoverable. As the plate boundary coupling drops below a threshold, the uncertainty of the inferred parameters increases due to insensitivity of plate motion to plate coupling. Comparing the trade-offs between inferred rheological parameters found from a Gaussian approximation of the parameter distribution and from MCMC sampling, we found that the Gaussian approximation—which is significantly cheaper to compute—is often a good approximation. We have extended our earlier method such that we can recover normal and shear stresses within the zones determining the interface between subducting and over-riding plates determined through seismic constraints (using the Slab1.0 model). We find that those subduction zones with low seismic coupling correspond with low inferred values of mechanical coupling. By fitting plate motion data in the optimization scheme, we find that Tonga and the Marianas have the lowest values of mechanical coupling while Chile and Sumatra the highest, among the subduction zones we have studies. Moreover, because of the nature of the high-resolution adjoint models, the subduction zones with the lowest coupling have back-arc extension. Globally we find that the non-linear stress-strain exponent, n, is about 3.0 +/- 0.25 (in the upper mantle and lithosphere) and a

  9. A mantle plume model for the Equatorial Highlands of Venus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiefer, Walter S.; Hager, Bradford H.

    1991-01-01

    The possibility that the Equatorial Highlands are the surface expressions of hot upwelling mantle plumes is considered via a series of mantle plume models developed using a cylindrical axisymmetric finite element code and depth-dependent Newtonian rheology. The results are scaled by assuming whole mantle convection and that Venus and the earth have similar mantle heat flows. The best model fits are for Beta and Atla. The common feature of the allowed viscosity models is that they lack a pronounced low-viscosity zone in the upper mantle. The shape of Venus's long-wavelength admittance spectrum and the slope of its geoid spectrum are also consistent with the lack of a low-viscosity zone. It is argued that the lack of an asthenosphere on Venus is due to the mantle of Venus being drier than the earth's mantle. Mantle plumes may also have contributed to the formation of some smaller highland swells, such as the Bell and Eistla regions and the Hathor/Innini/Ushas region.

  10. Subduction Contributions in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: Implications from Lava Chemistry and Hf-Nd-Pb Isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Y.; Goldstein, S. L.; Langmuir, C. H.; Gómez-Tuena, A.; Lagatta, A.; Straub, S. M.; Martín Del Pozzo, A.

    2007-05-01

    -derived melts, despite traverse through a ca. 35 km thick continental crust. Their compositions can be simply modeled, and reflect components from a composite slab melt (represented by altered Pacific ocean crust and DSDP 487 sediment), plus the regional mantle (represented by high-Nb SCVF lavas). The best estimate of the slab melt is a ca. 5 percent sediment melt plus a low-degree (ca. 0.5 percent) altered oceanic crust melt, with a mixing ratio of about 1:9. Thus, the integrated data allow us to clearly distinguish between mantle and crustal sources and point to substantial subducted slab contributions to TMVB lavas.

  11. Network topology of olivine-basalt partial melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skemer, Philip; Chaney, Molly M.; Emmerich, Adrienne L.; Miller, Kevin J.; Zhu, Wen-lu

    2017-07-01

    The microstructural relationship between melt and solid grains in partially molten rocks influences many physical properties, including permeability, rheology, electrical conductivity and seismic wave speeds. In this study, the connectivity of melt networks in the olivine-basalt system is explored using a systematic survey of 3-D X-ray microtomographic data. Experimentally synthesized samples with 2 and 5 vol.% melt are analysed as a series of melt tubules intersecting at nodes. Each node is characterized by a coordination number (CN), which is the number of melt tubules that intersect at that location. Statistically representative volumes are described by coordination number distributions (CND). Polyhedral grains can be packed in many configurations yielding different CNDs, however widely accepted theory predicts that systems with small dihedral angles, such as olivine-basalt, should exhibit a predominant CN of four. In this study, melt objects are identified with CN = 2-8, however more than 50 per cent are CN = 4, providing experimental verification of this theoretical prediction. A conceptual model that considers the role of heterogeneity in local grain size and melt fraction is proposed to explain the formation of nodes with CN ≠ 4. Correctly identifying the melt network topology is essential to understanding the relationship between permeability and porosity, and hence the transport properties of partial molten mantle rocks.

  12. Early history of Earth's crust-mantle system inferred from hafnium isotopes in chondrites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bizzarro, Martin; Haack, Henning; Rosing, M.

    2003-01-01

    for the chondrite-forming event. This ¿176 value indicates that Earth's oldest minerals were derived from melts of a mantle source with a time-integrated history of depletion rather than enrichment. The depletion event must have occurred no later than 320 Myr after planetary accretion, consistent with timing......The Lu to Hf decay series has been widely used to understand the nature of Earth's early crust-mantle system. The interpretation, however, of Lu-Hf isotope data requires accurate knowledge of the radioactive decay constant of Lu (¿176), as well as bulk-Earth reference parameters. A recent...

  13. Self-Consistent Generation of Primordial Continental Crust in Global Mantle Convection Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, C.; Rozel, A.; Tackley, P. J.

    2017-12-01

    We present the generation of primordial continental crust (TTG rocks) using self-consistent and evolutionary thermochemical mantle convection models (Tackley, PEPI 2008). Numerical modelling commonly shows that mantle convection and continents have strong feedbacks on each other. However in most studies, continents are inserted a priori while basaltic (oceanic) crust is generated self-consistently in some models (Lourenco et al., EPSL 2016). Formation of primordial continental crust happened by fractional melting and crystallisation in episodes of relatively rapid growth from late Archean to late Proterozoic eras (3-1 Ga) (Hawkesworth & Kemp, Nature 2006) and it has also been linked to the onset of plate tectonics around 3 Ga. It takes several stages of differentiation to generate Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite (TTG) rocks or proto-continents. First, the basaltic magma is extracted from the pyrolitic mantle which is both erupted at the surface and intruded at the base of the crust. Second, it goes through eclogitic transformation and then partially melts to form TTGs (Rudnick, Nature 1995; Herzberg & Rudnick, Lithos 2012). TTGs account for the majority of the Archean continental crust. Based on the melting conditions proposed by Moyen (Lithos 2011), the feasibility of generating TTG rocks in numerical simulations has already been demonstrated by Rozel et al. (Nature, 2017). Here, we have developed the code further by parameterising TTG formation. We vary the ratio of intrusive (plutonic) and extrusive (volcanic) magmatism (Crisp, Volcanol. Geotherm. 1984) to study the relative volumes of three petrological TTG compositions as reported from field data (Moyen, Lithos 2011). Furthermore, we systematically vary parameters such as friction coefficient, initial core temperature and composition-dependent viscosity to investigate the global tectonic regime of early Earth. Continental crust can also be destroyed by subduction or delamination. We will investigate

  14. Abnormal lithium isotope composition from the ancient lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Yan-Jie; Zhang, Hong-Fu; Deloule, Etienne; Su, Ben-Xun; Ying, Ji-Feng; Santosh, M; Xiao, Yan

    2014-03-04

    Lithium elemental and isotopic compositions of olivines in peridotite xenoliths from Hebi in the North China Craton provide direct evidence for the highly variable δ(7)Li in Archean lithospheric mantle. The δ(7)Li in the cores of olivines from the Hebi high-Mg# peridotites (Fo > 91) show extreme variation from -27 to +21, in marked deviation from the δ(7)Li range of fresh MORB (+1.6 to +5.6) although the Li abundances of the olivines are within the range of normal mantle (1-2 ppm). The Li abundances and δ(7)Li characteristics of the Hebi olivines could not have been produced by recent diffusive-driven isotopic fractionation of Li and therefore the δ(7)Li in the cores of these olivines record the isotopic signature of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Our data demonstrate that abnormal δ(7)Li may be preserved in the ancient lithospheric mantle as observed in our study from the central North China Craton, which suggest that the subcontinental lithospheric mantle has experienced modification of fluid/melt derived from recycled oceanic crust.

  15. Crustal accretion along the global mid-ocean ridge system based on basaltic glass and olivine-hosted melt inclusion compositions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wanless, V. D.; Behn, M. D.

    2015-12-01

    The depth and distribution of crystallization at mid-ocean ridges controls the overall architecture of the oceanic crust, influences hydrothermal circulation, and determines geothermal gradients in the crust and uppermost mantle. Despite this, there is no overall consensus on how crystallization is distributed within the crust/upper mantle or how this varies with spreading rate. Here, we examine crustal accretion at mid-ocean ridges by combining crystallization pressures calculated from major element barometers on mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) glasses with vapor-saturation pressures from melt inclusions to produce a detailed map of crystallization depths and distributions along the global ridge system. We calculate pressures of crystallization from >11,500 MORB glasses from the global ridge system using two established major element barometers (1,2). Additionally, we use vapor-saturation pressures from >400 olivine-hosted melt inclusions from five ridges with variable spreading rates to constrain pressures and distributions of crystallization along the global ridge system. We show that (i) crystallization depths from MORB glasses increase and become less focused with decreasing spreading rate, (ii) maximum glass pressures are greater than the maximum melt inclusion pressure, which indicates that the melt inclusions do not record the deepest crystallization at mid-ocean ridges, and (iii) crystallization occurs in the lower crust/upper mantle at all ridges, indicating accretion is distributed throughout the crust at all spreading rates, including those with a steady-state magma lens. Finally, we suggest that the remarkably similar maximum vapor-saturation pressures (~ 3000 bars) in melt inclusion from all spreading rates reflects the CO2 content of the depleted upper mantle feeding the global mid-ocean ridge system. (1) Michael, P. & W. Cornell (1998), Journal of Geophysical Research, 103(B8), 18325-18356; (2) Herzberg, C. (2004), Journal of Petrology, 45(12), 2389.

  16. Boron isotopic composition of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from Gorgona komatiites, Colombia: New evidence supporting wet komatiite origin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurenko, Andrey A.; Kamenetsky, Vadim S.

    2011-12-01

    A fundamental question in the genesis of komatiites is whether these rocks originate from partial melting of dry and hot mantle, 400-500 °C hotter than typical sources of MORB and OIB magmas, or if they were produced by hydrous melting of the source at much lower temperatures, similar or only moderately higher than those known today. Gorgona Island, Colombia, is a unique place where Phanerozoic komatiites occur and whose origin is directly connected to the formation of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province. The genesis of Gorgona komatiites remains controversial, mostly because of the uncertain origin of volatile components which they appear to contain. These volatiles could equally result from shallow level magma contamination, melting of a "damp" mantle or fluid-induced partial melting of the source due to devolatilization of the ancient subducting plate. We have analyzed boron isotopes of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from the Gorgona komatiites. These inclusions are characterized by relatively high contents of volatile components and boron (0.2-1.0 wt.% H 2O, 0.05-0.08 wt.% S, 0.02-0.03 wt.% Cl, 0.6-2.0 μg/g B), displaying positive anomalies in the overall depleted, primitive mantle (PM) normalized trace element and REE spectra ([La/Sm] n = 0.16-0.35; [H 2O/Nb] n = 8-44; [Cl/Nb] n = 27-68; [B/Nb] n = 9-30, assuming 300 μg/g H 2O, 8 μg/g Cl and 0.1 μg/g B in PM; Kamenetsky et al., 2010. Composition and temperature of komatiite melts from Gorgona Island constrained from olivine-hosted melt inclusions. Geology 38, 1003-1006). The inclusions range in δ11B values from - 11.5 to + 15.6 ± 2.2‰ (1 SE), forming two distinct trends in a δ11B vs. B-concentration diagram. Direct assimilation of seawater, seawater-derived components, altered oceanic crust or marine sediments by ascending komatiite magma cannot readily account for the volatile contents and B isotope variations. Alternatively, injection of < 3wt.% of a 11B enriched fluid to the mantle source could

  17. Magma genesis at Gale Crater: Evidence for Pervasive Mantle Metasomatism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filiberto, J.

    2017-12-01

    Basaltic rocks have been analyzed at Gale Crater with a larger range in bulk chemistry than at any other landing site [1]. Therefore, the rocks may have experienced significantly different formation conditions than those experienced by magmas at Gusev Crater or Meridiani Planum. Specifically, the rocks at Gale Crater have higher potassium than other Martian rocks, with a potential analog of the Nakhlite parental magma, and are consistent with forming from a metasomatized mantle source [2-4]. Mantle metasomatism would not only affect the bulk chemistry but mantle melting conditions, as metasomatism fluxes fluids into the source region. Here I will combine differences in bulk chemistry between Martian basalts to calculate formation conditions in the interior and investigate if the rocks at Gale Crater experienced magma genesis conditions consistent with metasomatism - lower temperatures and pressures of formation. To calculate average formation conditions, I rely on experimental results, where available, and silica-activity and Mg-exchange thermometry calculations for all other compositions following [5, 6]. The results show that there is a direct correlation between the calculated mantle potential temperature and the K/Ti ratio of Gale Crater rocks. This is consistent with fluid fluxed metasomatism introducing fluids to the system, which depressed the melting temperature and fluxed K but not Ti to the system. Therefore, all basalts at Gale Crater are consistent with forming from a metasomatized mantle source, which affected not only the chemistry of the basalts but also the formation conditions. References: [1] Cousin A. et al. (2017) Icarus. 288: 265-283. [2] Treiman A.H. et al. (2016) Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 121: 75-106. [3] Treiman A.H. and Medard E. (2016) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. 48: doi: 10.1130/abs/2016AM-285851. [4] Schmidt M.E. et al. (2016) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. 48: doi: 10

  18. Implications of Nb/U, Th/U and Sm/Nd in plume magmas for the relationship between continental and oceanic crust formation and the development of the depleted mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Ian H.

    2002-05-01

    The Nb/U and Th/U of the primitive mantle are 34 and 4.04 respectively, which compare with 9.7 and 3.96 for the continental crust. Extraction of continental crust from the mantle therefore has a profound influence on its Nb/U but little influence on its Th/U. Conversely, extraction of midocean ridge-type basalts lowers the Th/U of the mantle residue but has little influence on its Nb/U. As a consequence, variations in Th/U and Nb/U with Sm/Nd can be used to evaluate the relative importance of continental and basaltic crust extraction in the formation of the depleted (Sm/Nd enriched) mantle reservoir. This study evaluates Nb/U, Th/U, and Sm/Nd variations in suites of komatiites, picrites, and their associated basalts, of various ages, to determine whether basalt and/or continental crust have been extracted from their source region. Emphasis is placed on komatiites and picrites because they formed at high degrees of partial melting and are expected to have Nb/U, Th/U, and Sm/Nd that are essentially the same as the mantle that melted to produce them. The results show that all of the studied suites, with the exception of the Barberton, have had both continental crust and basaltic crust extracted from their mantle source region. The high Sm/Nd of the Gorgona and Munro komatiites require the elevated ratios seen in these suites to be due primarily to extraction of basaltic crust from their source regions, whereas basaltic and continental crust extraction are of subequal importance in the source regions of the Yilgarn and Belingwe komatiites. The Sm/Nd of modern midocean ridge basalts lies above the crustal extraction curve on a plot of Sm/Nd against Nb/U, which requires the upper mantle to have had both basaltic and continental crust extracted from it. It is suggested that the extraction of the basaltic reservoir from the mantle occurs at midocean ridges and that the basaltic crust, together with its complementary depleted mantle residue, is subducted to the core-mantle

  19. Zircon and allanite U-Pb ID-TIMS ages of vaugnerites from the Calzadilla pluton, Salamanca (Spain): dating mantle-derived magmatism and post-magmatic subsolidus overprint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    López-Moro, F.J.; Romer, R. L.; López-Plaza, M.; González Sánchez, M.

    2017-01-01

    Basic to intermediate high-K, high-Mg mantle-derived rocks occur throughout the Iberian Massif and are particularly important in the Tormes Dome, where vaugnerites form several stocks and small plutons. One of the largest and geochemically most variable among these plutons is the Calzadilla pluton in the Tormes Dome that crystallized at 318 ± 1.4Ma (Bashkirian; U-Pb TIMS zircon). This age reveals that the vaugnerite pluton was emplaced during the transition from late D2 extensional deformation to early D3 contractional deformation (319 to 317Ma). Large-scale extension in the area resulted, on one hand, in extensive anatexis in the crust due to quasiisothermal decompression and mica-dehydration melting and, on the other hand, in the upwelling of the mantle, which induced partial melting of the enriched domains in the lithospheric mantle. The driving reason why crustal and mantle melts were coeval is extension. The U-Pb ID-TIMS age of allanite is not related to the emplacement nor cooling of the Calzadilla vaugnerite, but it seems to be related to a younger subsolidus overprint ca. 275Ma that, in the scale of the Central Iberian Zone, corresponds to a period of hydrothermal alteration, including episyenite formation and tungsten mineralization.

  20. Zircon and allanite U-Pb ID-TIMS ages of vaugnerites from the Calzadilla pluton, Salamanca (Spain): dating mantle-derived magmatism and post-magmatic subsolidus overprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    López-Moro, F.J.; Romer, R. L.; López-Plaza, M.; González Sánchez, M.

    2017-07-01

    Basic to intermediate high-K, high-Mg mantle-derived rocks occur throughout the Iberian Massif and are particularly important in the Tormes Dome, where vaugnerites form several stocks and small plutons. One of the largest and geochemically most variable among these plutons is the Calzadilla pluton in the Tormes Dome that crystallized at 318 ± 1.4Ma (Bashkirian; U-Pb TIMS zircon). This age reveals that the vaugnerite pluton was emplaced during the transition from late D2 extensional deformation to early D3 contractional deformation (319 to 317Ma). Large-scale extension in the area resulted, on one hand, in extensive anatexis in the crust due to quasiisothermal decompression and mica-dehydration melting and, on the other hand, in the upwelling of the mantle, which induced partial melting of the enriched domains in the lithospheric mantle. The driving reason why crustal and mantle melts were coeval is extension. The U-Pb ID-TIMS age of allanite is not related to the emplacement nor cooling of the Calzadilla vaugnerite, but it seems to be related to a younger subsolidus overprint ca. 275Ma that, in the scale of the Central Iberian Zone, corresponds to a period of hydrothermal alteration, including episyenite formation and tungsten mineralization.

  1. Geophysical evidence for melt in the deep lunar interior and implications for lunar evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, A.; Connolly, J. A. D.; Pommier, A.; Noir, J.

    2014-10-01

    Analysis of lunar laser ranging and seismic data has yielded evidence that has been interpreted to indicate a molten zone in the lowermost mantle overlying a fluid core. Such a zone provides strong constraints on models of lunar thermal evolution. Here we determine thermochemical and physical structure of the deep Moon by inverting lunar geophysical data (mean mass and moment of inertia, tidal Love number, and electromagnetic sounding data) in combination with phase-equilibrium computations. Specifically, we assess whether a molten layer is required by the geophysical data. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that a region with high dissipation located deep within the Moon is required to explain the geophysical data. This region is located within the mantle where the solidus is crossed at a depth of ˜1200 km (≥1600°C). Inverted compositions for the partially molten layer (150-200 km thick) are enriched in FeO and TiO2 relative to the surrounding mantle. The melt phase is neutrally buoyant at pressures of ˜4.5-4.6 GPa but contains less TiO2 (<15 wt %) than the Ti-rich (˜16 wt %) melts that produced a set of high-density primitive lunar magmas (density of 3.4 g/cm3). Melt densities computed here range from 3.25 to 3.45 g/cm3 bracketing the density of lunar magmas with moderate-to-high TiO2 contents. Our results are consistent with a model of lunar evolution in which the cumulate pile formed from crystallization of the magma ocean as it overturned, trapping heat-producing elements in the lower mantle.

  2. Melting mode and source lithology inferred from trace element systematic in historical olivine from Lanzarote, Canary Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Ulla, Alejandra; Sigmarsson, Olgeir; Guðfinnsson, Guðmundur H.

    2017-04-01

    Trace element concentrations and ratios in olivine phenocrysts, such as fractionation-corrected Ni x (FeO/MgO) and Fe/Mn, have been shown useful as probes of pyroxenite derived component in mixtures of primary mantle melts (e.g. Sobolev et al., 2007). For instance, higher Ni and lower Mn and Ca contents are expected in partial melts of pyroxenite compared to those of lherzolite. We have measured trace element concentrations in olivine from 1730-1736 AD (Timanfaya) and 1824 AD eruptions in Lanzarote (Canary Islands), which erupted mafic and mantle nodule bearing magmas, ranging in composition from highly silica-undersaturated basanite through alkali basalt to tholeiite. The early basanite exhibit the largest olivine trace element variation covering the range of those from MORB and OIB worldwide, whereas later erupted tholeiite have values typical from pyroxenite derived melts. The Fo value decreased systematically with time during the 1730-36 eruption and the proportion of silica-saturated primary melt increased in the parental magma mixture with time. At the end of the eruption, tholeiite magmas crystallized olivine with, increasing concentrations of Mn and Ca and higher Ca/Al at relatively uniform Ni x (FeO/MgO) and Fe/Mn, all of which is readily explained by increased decompression melting at lower temperature. The basanite from the eruption that took place in 1824 AD has olivine with even higher Fo value and trace element variability similar those of the Timanfaya basanite. The fact that the Lanzarote basanite contain olivine with trace element systematic spanning that of MORB and pyroxenite melt can be explained by CO2-flux melting of a lithologically heterogeneous source, generating the diverse compositions. Initial reactive porous flow through depleted oceanic lithosphere and equilibration with dunitic restite of percolating pyroxenite melt may have amplified the observed Ni depletion in olivine of the earliest basanite. The fact that olivine compositions and

  3. Developing a Hygrometer for Water-Undersaturated Lherzolite Melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guild, M. R.; Till, C. B.

    2017-12-01

    The effect of water on the composition of primitive mantle melts at arc volcanoes is a topic of wide interest and has been addressed in a number of previous experimental studies including Hirose & Kawamoto (1995), Gaetani & Grove (1998), Till et al. (2012) and Mitchell & Grove (2015). The current study builds upon the work by previous authors in an effort to develop a more robust hygrometer for primitive lherzolite melts at water-undersaturated conditions. The starting composition for this experimental study is a mixture of 75% primitive upper mantle and 25% primitive basalt (Baker et al., 1991) with a bulk H2O content of 2 wt. %. Experiments were performed at Arizona State University in the Experimental Petrology and Igneous processes Center (EPIC) from 1.2-1.6 GPa at 1150-1300 ºC for 2 days in a piston cylinder apparatus to reflect conditions relevant for arc melt equilibration (Till 2017). A double capsule design was used to prevent Fe and H2O loss with an inner Fe-presaturated Au80Pd20 capsule and an outer Au80Pd20 capsule. Run products were analyzed by electron microprobe and determined to be successful when they demonstrated 0-5% Fe-loss, olivine-melt KDs of 0.27-0.30, and minimal H2O loss. The water-undersaturated melt composition are in equilibrium with ol+opx+sp±cpx. Run products at 1.6 GPa do not contain cpx in the mineral assemblage over the studied temperature range. Observed melt compositions have SiO2 contents of 48-49 wt. % at 1.2 GPa and 46-49 wt.% at 1.6 GPa. Our experimental results suggest an enhanced effect of water on increasing the SiO2 content of the melt compared to previous studies on systems with similar water contents and anhydrous systems. Baker, et al., JGR 96, 21819-21842 (1991). Gaetani & Grove, CMP 131, 323-346 (1998). Hirose & Kawamoto, EPSL 133, 463-473 (1995). Mitchell & Grove, CMP 170, 13 (2015). Till, Am. Mineral, 102, 931-947 (2017). Till, et al., JGR 117 (2012).

  4. Chip bonding of low-melting eutectic alloys by transmitted laser radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoff, Christian; Venkatesh, Arjun; Schneider, Friedrich; Hermsdorf, Jörg; Bengsch, Sebastian; Wurz, Marc C.; Kaierle, Stefan; Overmeyer, Ludger

    2017-06-01

    Present-day thermode bond systems for the assembly of radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips are mechanically inflexible, difficult to control, and will not meet future manufacturing challenges sufficiently. Chip bonding, one of the key processes in the production of integrated circuits (ICs), has a high potential for optimization with respect to process duration and process flexibility. For this purpose, the technologies used, so far, are supposed to be replaced by a transmission laser-bonding process using low-melting eutectic alloys. In this study, successful bonding investigations of mock silicon chips and of RFID chips on flexible polymer substrates are presented using the low-melting eutectic alloy, 52In48Sn, and a laser with a wavelength of 2 μm.

  5. Temporal geochemical trends in northern Luzon arc lavas (Philippines): implications on metasomatic processes in the island arc mantle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maury, R.C.; Bellon, H.; Jacques, D.; Defant, J.; Joron, J.L.; Mcdermott, F.; Vidal, Ph.

    1998-01-01

    Neogene and Quaternary lavas from Batan, Babuyan de Claro, Camiguin and Calayan islands (northern Luzon arc) display temporal increases in incompatible elements including Cs, Rb, Ba, K, La, Ce, Th, U, Ta, Hf and Zr from volcanoes older than 3 Ma to younger ones. These enrichments occur either within a single island (Batan) or within an island group (from Calayan to Camiguin and Babuyan). We show that these enrichments result from incompatible element input into the mantle wedge rather than from partial melting or fractionation effects. The fact that highly incompatible elements display temporal enrichment patterns in Batan lavas whatever their chemical properties indicates that hydrous fluids are not the only metasomatic agents operating in the mantle wedge and that slab-derived melts (adakitic magmas) may also be involved. The coupled temporal variation patterns of large ion lithophile elements and Sr-Nd isotopes suggest that the metasomatic budgets beneath the southern group of islands are mainly controlled by hydrous fluids inputs. In contrast, young Batan lavas likely derive from a mantle source mostly metasomatized by adakitic magmas. (authors)

  6. Whole-mantle P-wave velocity structure and azimuthal anisotropy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Y.; Zhao, D.

    2009-12-01

    There are some hotspot volcanoes on Earth, such as Hawaii and Iceland. The mantle plume hypothesis was proposed forty years ago to explain hotspot volcanoes (e.g., Wilson, 1963; Morgan, 1971). Seismic tomography is a powerful technique to detect mantle plumes and determine their detailed structures. We determined a new whole-mantle 3-D P-wave velocity model (Tohoku model) using a global tomography method (Zhao, 2004, 2009). A flexible-grid approach with a grid interval of ~200 km is adopted to conduct the tomographic inversion. Our model shows that low-velocity (low-V) anomalies with diameters of several hundreds of kilometers are visible from the core-mantle boundary (CMB) to the surface under the major hotspot regions. Under South Pacific where several hotspots including Tahiti exist, there is a huge low-V anomaly from the CMB to the surface. This feature is consistent with the previous models. We conducted extensive resolution tests in order to understand whether this low-V anomaly shows a single superplume or a plume cluster. Unfortunately this problem is still not resolved because the ray path coverage in the mantle under South Pacific is not good enough. A network of ocean bottom seismometers is necessary to solve this problem. To better understand the whole-mantle structure and dynamics, we also conducted P-wave tomographic inversions for the 3-D velocity structure and azimuthal anisotropy. At each grid node there are three unknown parameters: one represents the isotropic velocity, the other two represent the azimuthal anisotropy. Our results show that in the shallow part of the mantle (Japan trench axis. In the Tonga subduction zone, the FVD is also perpendicular to the trench axis. Under the Tibetan region the FVD is NE-SW, which is parallel to the direction of the India-Asia collision. In the deeper part of the upper mantle and in the lower mantle, the amplitude of anisotropy is reduced. One interesting feature is that the FVD aligns in a radiated fashion

  7. Sulphur isotope variations in the mantle from ion microprobe analyses of micro-sulphide inclusions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaussidon, M.; Albarede, F.; Sheppard, S.M.F.

    1989-01-01

    21 samples of sulphide trapped either as liquid globules or grains in various minerals (olivine, pyroxenes, ilmenite and garnet) or rocks (basalt glasses, peridotites, eclogites and kimberlites) of mantle origin, have been analysed for their sulphur isotope, and their Cu, Ni, Fe compositions by ion microprobe. The results show a wide range of δ 34 S values between -4.9±1 and +8±1per mille. Sulphides with high nickel contents (up to 40% pentlandite), corresponding mostly to residual peridotites, have δ 34 S values ranging from -3.2per mille to +3.6per mille with a mode of +3±1per mille, compared to low Ni content sulphides, mostly contained in pyroxenites, OIB and kimberlites, ranging from -3.6per mille to +8per mille with a mode of +1±1per mille. The δ 34 S of sulphides originating from within the mantle are variable. The sulphide globules with high Ni contents and δ 34 S values close to +3per mille, are probably produced by 10-20% partial melting of a mantle source containing 300 ppm sulphur as an upper limit and having a δ 34 S value of +0.5±0.5per mille. This difference in δ 34 S values suggests a high-temperature S-isotope fractionation of ≅+3per mille between liquid sulphide and the sulphur dissolved in the silicate liquid. The sulphur isotopes balance in the system upper mantle + oceanic crust + continental crust + seawater requires a mean δ 34 S value of the primitive upper mantle of +0.5per mille, slightly but significantly different from that of chondrites (+0.2±0.2per mille). (orig.)

  8. Lithosphere erosion and continental breakup : Interaction of extension, plume upwelling and melting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lavecchia, Alessio; Thieulot, Cedric; Beekman, Fred; Cloetingh, Sierd; Clark, Stuart

    2017-01-01

    We present the results of thermo-mechanical modelling of extension and breakup of a heterogeneous continental lithosphere, subjected to plume impingement in presence of intraplate stress field. We incorporate partial melting of the extending lithosphere, underlying upper mantle and plume, caused by

  9. Effects of surface shape on the geometry and surface topography of the melt pool in low-power density laser melting

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Youngdeuk

    2011-04-15

    The quantitative correlations between workpiece volume and melt pool geometry, as well as the flow and thermal features of the melt pool are established. Thermocapillary convections in melt pool with a deformable free surface are investigated with respect to surface shape and laser intensity. When the contact angle between the tangent to the top surface and the vertical wall at the hot center is acute, the free surface flattens, compared with that of the initial free surface. Otherwise, the free surface forms a bowl-like shape with a deep crater and a low peripheral rim when the contact angle at the hot center is obtuse. Increasing the workpiece volume at a fixed laser intensity and a negative radial height gradient cause linear decreases in the geometric size and magnitude of flow and temperature of the melt pool. Conversely, linear increases are observed with a positive radial height gradient. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

  10. The origin and crust/mantle mass balance of Central Andean ignimbrite magmatism constrained by oxygen and strontium isotopes and erupted volumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freymuth, Heye; Brandmeier, Melanie; Wörner, Gerhard

    2015-06-01

    Volcanism during the Neogene in the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ) of the Andes produced (1) stratovolcanoes, (2) rhyodacitic to rhyolitic ignimbrites which reach volumes of generally less than 300 km3 and (3) large-volume monotonous dacitic ignimbrites of up to several thousand cubic kilometres. We present models for the origin of these magma types using O and Sr isotopes to constrain crust/mantle proportions for the large-volume ignimbrites and explore the relationship to the evolution of the Andean crust. Oxygen isotope ratios were measured on phenocrysts in order to avoid the effects of secondary alteration. Our results show a complete overlap in the Sr-O isotope compositions of lavas from stratovolcanoes and low-volume rhyolitic ignimbrites as well as older (>9 Ma) large-volume dacitic ignimbrites. This suggests that the mass balance of crustal and mantle components are largely similar. By contrast, younger (estimated the volume of these ignimbrite deposits throughout the Central Andes during the Neogene and examined the spatiotemporal pattern of so-called ignimbrite flare-ups. We observe a N-S migration of maximum ages of the onset of large-volume "ignimbrite pulses" through time: Major pulses occurred at 19-24 Ma (e.g. Oxaya, Nazca Group), 13-14 Ma (e.g. Huaylillas and Altos de Pica ignimbrites) and 70 km3 Ma-1 km-1 (assuming plutonic/volcanic ratios of 1:5) which are additional to, but within the order of, the arc background magmatic flux. Comparing our results to average shortening rates observed in the Andes, we observe a "lag-time" with large-volume eruptions occurring after accelerated shortening. A similar delay exists between the ignimbrite pulses and the subduction of the Juan Fernandez ridge. This is consistent with the idea that large-volume ignimbrite eruptions occurred in the wake of the N-S passage of the ridge after slab steepening has allowed hot asthenospheric mantle to ascend into and cause the melting of the mantle wedge. In our model, the

  11. Gas lantern mantle: a low activity alpha particle source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukherjee, B.; Manzoor, S.

    1991-01-01

    Commercially available gas lantern mantles contain a substantial amount of radioactive ThO 2 . Gas lantern mantles purchased from a Sydney camping shop were incinerated, deposited as a thin layer on a aluminium planchette, and the emitted alpha spectrum was measured with a silicon surfacer barrier detector. The specific activity of the samples was estimated by high resolution gamma spectroscopy using a high purity germanium detector as well as CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors. The micro-morphology of the incinerated powder was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. The depth dose and LET distribution of alpha particles in soft tissue were calculated from the energy spectrum. 12 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

  12. Silicate Veining Above an Ascending Mantle Plume - Evidence from New Ethiopian Xenolith Localities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rooney, T. O.; Furman, T.; Ayalew, D.; Yirgu, G.

    2004-12-01

    Quaternary basaltic eruptions in the Debre Zeyit (Bishoftu) and Butajira regions of the Main Ethiopian Rift host Al-augite, norite and rare lherzolite xenoliths, xenocrysts and megacrysts. These explosive basaltic eruptions are located 20 km to the west of the main rift axis and are characterized by cinder cones and maars. The host basalt was generated as a small degree partial melt of fertile peridotite between 15 and 25 kb and host abundant Al-augite (Type II) xenoliths derived from pressures up to 10 kb. The central Main Ethiopian Rift lies in a transitional zone between the continental rifting of East Africa and the sea floor spreading associated with the Red Sea. Lithospheric and sub-lithospheric processes that occur during the transition from continental to oceanic magmatism may be investigated using these xenolith-bearing basalts. Neither carbonatitic nor hydrous (amphibole + phlogopite) metasomatism is evident in either the xenoliths or host basalts, suggesting that infiltration of silicate melts that produced Al-augite veining dominates the regional lower crust and lithospheric mantle. These veins are significantly hotter (200 - 300 ° C) than the lherzolite wall rock they intrude suggesting the thermal influence of the Afar plume. Recent geophysical tomography indicates that this veining is pervasive and segmented, supporting the association of these Al-augite veins with the formation of a proto-ridge axis. Al-augite xenoliths and megacrysts have been observed in other continental rift settings such as Durango (Luhr, 2001) and Lake Baikal (Litasov, 2000), indicating Al-augite silicate melt metasomatism is a fundamental process associated with continental rift development.

  13. Modelling the possible interaction between edge-driven convection and the Canary Islands mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negredo, A. M.; Rodríguez-González, J.; Fullea, J.; Van Hunen, J.

    2017-12-01

    The close location between many hotspots and the edges of cratonic lithosphere has led to the hypothesis that these hotspots could be explained by small-scale mantle convection at the edge of cratons (Edge Driven Convection, EDC). The Canary Volcanic Province hotspot represents a paradigmatic example of this situation due to its close location to the NW edge of the African Craton. Geochemical evidence, prominent low seismic velocity anomalies in the upper and lower mantle, and the rough NE-SW age-progression of volcanic centers consistently point out to a deep-seated mantle plume as the origin of the Canary Volcanic Province. It has been hypothesized that the plume material could be affected by upper mantle convection caused by the thermal contrast between thin oceanic lithosphere and thick (cold) African craton. Deflection of upwelling blobs due to convection currents would be responsible for the broader and more irregular pattern of volcanism in the Canary Province compared to the Madeira Province. In this study we design a model setup inspired on this scenario to investigate the consequences of possible interaction between ascending mantle plumes and EDC. The Finite Element code ASPECT is used to solve convection in a 2D box. The compositional field and melt fraction distribution are also computed. Free slip along all boundaries and constant temperature at top and bottom boundaries are assumed. The initial temperature distribution assumes a small long-wavelength perturbation. The viscosity structure is based on a thick cratonic lithosphere progressively varying to a thin, or initially inexistent, oceanic lithosphere. The effects of assuming different rheologies, as well as steep or gradual changes in lithospheric thickness are tested. Modelling results show that a very thin oceanic lithosphere (models assuming temperature-dependent viscosity and large viscosity variations evolve to large-scale (upper mantle) convection cells, with upwelling of hot material being

  14. Melting method for miscellaneous radioactive solid waste and melting furnace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osaki, Toru; Furukawa, Hirofumi; Uda, Nobuyoshi; Katsurai, Kiyomichi

    1998-01-01

    A vessel containing miscellaneous solid wastes is inserted in a crucible having a releasable material on the inner surface, they are induction-heated from the outside of the crucible by way of low temperature heating coils to melt low melting point materials in the miscellaneous wastes within a temperature range at which the vessel does not melt. Then, they are induction-heated by way of high temperature heating coils to melt the vessel and not yet melted materials, those molten materials are cooled, solidified molten material and the releasable material are taken out, and then the crucible is used again. Then, the crucible can be used again, so that it can be applied to a large scaled melting furnace which treats wastes by a unit of drum. In addition, since the cleaning of the used crucible and the application of the releasable material can be conducted without interrupting the operation of the melting furnace, the operation cycle of the melting furnace can be shortened. (N.H.)

  15. Transfer of subduction fluids into the deforming mantle wedge during nascent subduction: Evidence from trace elements and boron isotopes (Semail ophiolite, Oman)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prigent, C.; Guillot, S.; Agard, P.; Lemarchand, D.; Soret, M.; Ulrich, M.

    2018-02-01

    The basal part of the Semail ophiolitic mantle was (de)formed at relatively low temperature (LT) directly above the plate interface during "nascent subduction" (the prelude to ophiolite obduction). This subduction-related LT deformation was associated with progressive strain localization and cooling, resulting in the formation of porphyroclastic to ultramylonitic shear zones prior to serpentinization. Using petrological and geochemical analyses (trace elements and B isotopes), we show that these basal peridotites interacted with hydrous fluids percolating by porous flow during mylonitic deformation (from ∼850 down to 650 °C). This process resulted in 1) high-T amphibole crystallization, 2) striking enrichments of minerals in fluid mobile elements (FME; particularly B, Li and Cs with concentrations up to 400 times those of the depleted mantle) and 3) peridotites with an elevated δ11B of up to +25‰. These features indicate that the metasomatic hydrous fluids are most likely derived from the dehydration of subducting crustal amphibolitic materials (i.e., the present-day high-T sole). The rapid decrease in metasomatized peridotite δ11B with increasing distance to the contact with the HT sole (to depleted mantle isotopic values in <1 km) suggests an intense interaction between peridotites and rapid migrating fluids (∼1-25 m.y-1), erasing the initial high-δ11B subduction fluid signature within a short distance. The increase of peridotite δ11B with increasing deformation furthermore indicates that the flow of subduction fluids was progressively channelized in actively deforming shear zones parallel to the contact. Taken together, these results also suggest that the migration of subduction fluids/melts by porous flow through the subsolidus mantle wedge (i.e., above the plate interface at sub-arc depths) is unlikely to be an effective mechanism to transport slab-derived elements to the locus of partial melting in subduction zones.

  16. Geochemical Constraints on Core-Mantle Interaction from Fe/Mn Ratios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humayun, M.; Qin, L.

    2003-12-01

    The greater density of liquid iron alloy, and its immiscibility with silicate, maintains the physical separation of the core from the mantle. There are no a priori reasons, however, why the Earth's mantle should be chemically isolated from the core. Osmium isotopic variations in mantle plumes have been interpreted in terms of interaction between outer core and the source regions of deep mantle plumes. If chemical transport occurs across the core-mantle boundary its mechanism remains to be established. The Os isotope evidence has also been interpreted as the signatures of subducted Mn-sediments, which are known to have relatively high Pt/Os. In the mantle, Fe occurs mainly as the divalent ferrous ion, and Mn occurs solely as a divalent ion, and both behave in a geochemically coherent manner because of similarity in ionic charge and radius. Thus, the Fe/Mn ratio is a planetary constant insensitive to processes of mantle differentiation by partial melting. Two processes may perturb the ambient mantle Fe/Mn of 60: a) the subduction of Mn-sediments should decrease the Fe/Mn ratio in plume sources, while b) chemical transport from the outer core may increase the Fe/Mn ratio. The differentiation of the liquid outer core to form the solid inner core may increase abundances of the light element constituents (FeS, FeO, etc.) to the point of exsolution from the core at the CMB. The exact rate of this process is determined by the rate of inner core growth. Two end-member models include 1) inner core formation mainly prior to 3.5 Ga with heat release dominated by radioactive sources, or 2) inner core formation occurring mainly in the last 1.5 Ga with heat release dominated by latent heat. This latter model would imply large fluxes of Fe into the sources of modern mantle plumes. Existing Fe/Mn data for Gorgona and Hawaiian samples place limits on both these processes. We describe a new procedure for the precise determination of the Fe/Mn ratio in magmatic rocks by ICP-MS. This

  17. Garnet Signatures in Geophysical and Geochemical Observations: Insights into the Thermo-Petrological Structure of Oceanic Upper Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grose, C. J.; Afonso, J. C.

    2013-12-01

    We have developed new physically comprehensive thermal plate models of the oceanic lithosphere which incorporate temperature- and pressure-dependent heat transport properties and thermal expansivity, melting beneath ridges, hydrothermal circulation near ridge axes, and insulating oceanic crust. These models provide good fits to global databases of seafloor topography and heat flow, and seismic evidence of thermal structure near ridge axes. We couple these thermal plate models with thermodynamic models to predict the petrology of oceanic lithosphere. Geoid height predictions from our models suggest that there is a strong anomaly in geoid slope (over age) above ~25 Ma lithosphere due to the topography of garnet-field mantle. A similar anomaly is also present in geoid data over fracture zones. In addition, we show that a new assessment of a large database of ocean island basalt Sm/Yb systematics indicates that there is an unmistakable step-like increase in Sm/Yb values around 15-20 Ma, indicating the presence of garnet. To explain this feature, we have attempted to couple our thermo-petrological models of oceanic upper mantle with an open system, non-modal, dynamic melting model with diffusion kinetics to investigate trace element partitioning in an ascending mantle column.

  18. Focused ion beam structuring of low melting polymeric materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmied, R.

    2014-01-01

    This thesis focuses on heating effects during focused ion beam (FIB) processing of low melting polymers. The combined approach using experiments and simulations identifies the in part massive local temperatures as a convolution between intrinsic ion-matter effects and a considerable, technically-induced heating component. While the former is invariable, the latter has been minimized by an alternative process strategy which massively improves the morphological stability and minimizes chemical damage during FIB processing, thus opening new possibilities for application on sensitive, low melting materials. The study starts with systematic experimental investigations which strongly suggested the existence of a technically-induced heating component as a consequence of classically-used serpentine or raster-like patterning strategies. Based on these results, a combined simulation approach of ion trajectories and thermal spike model calculations have been employed to get a deeper insight into spatial and temporal temperature evolution. The results were then combined with the thermodynamic behavior of polymers by means of melting and volatizing temperatures. The comparison of these simulationbased predictions with real FIB experiments revealed very good agreement, proving the applicability of the approach used to describe the temperature evolution from a fundamental point of view. As a next step, these simulations were then applied to the dierent scanning strategies which further con rmed the existence of a technically-induced heating component via classically-used patterning approaches. Due to the deep insight gained via simulations, an alternative patterning strategy was developed, which was expected to minimize these avoidable influences. This new strategy was then evaluated using a multi-technique approach, which revealed strongly reduced chemical damage together with increasing morphological stabilities even for temperature-sensitive polymers. Finally, this alternative

  19. A high 87Sr 86Sr mantle source for low alkali tholeiite, northern Great Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mark, R.K.; Lee, Hu C.; Bowman, H.R.; Asaro, F.; McKee, E.H.; Coats, R.R.

    1975-01-01

    Olivine tholeiites, the youngest Tertiary units (about 8-11 m.y. old) at five widely spaced localities in northeastern Nevada, are geologically related to the basalts of the Snake River Plain, Idaho, to the north and are similar in major element and alkali chemistry to mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and island arc tholeiites. The measured K (1250-3350 ppm), Rb (1??9-6??2 ppm) and Sr (140-240 ppm) concentrations overlap the range reported for MORB. Three of the five samples have low, unfractionated rare earth element (REE) patterns, the other two show moderate light-REE enrichment. Barium concentration is high and variable (100-780 ppm) and does not correlate with the other LIL elements. The rocks have 87Sr/86Sr = 0??7052-0??7076, considerably higher than MORB (~0??702-0??703). These samples are chemically distinct (i.e. less alkalic) from the olivine tholeiites from the adjacent Snake River Plain, but their Sr isotopic compositions are similar. They contain Sr that is distinctly more radiogenic than the basalts from the adjacent Great Basin. About 10 b.y. would be required for the mean measured Rb/Sr (~ 0??02) of these samples to generate, in a closed system, the radiogenic Sr they contain. The low alkali content of these basalts makes crustal contamination an unlikely mechanism. If the magma is uncontaminated, the time-averaged Rb/Sr of the source material must have been ~0??04. A significant decrease in Rb/Sr of the source material (a factor 2??) thus most probably occurred in the relatively recent (1??09 yr) past. Such a decrease of Rb/Sr in the mantle could accompany alkali depletion produced by an episode of partial melting and magma extraction. In contrast, low 87Sr 86Sr ratios indicate that the source material of the mid-ocean ridge basalts may have been depleted early in the Earth's history. ?? 1975.

  20. Within-plate Cenozoic Volcanism and Mantle Sources Within The Western-central Mediterranean Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beccaluva, L.; Bianchini, G.; Bonadiman, C.; Coltorti, M.; Siena, F.

    An integrated study of anorogenic basic magmas and entrained mantle xenoliths rep- resents a promising approach for a comprehension of the magmatogenic events occur- ring within the lithospheric mantle in the western-central Mediterranean area. In this contribution we review the geochemical characteristics of mafic lavas and associated peridotite xenoliths from three anorogenic volcanic districts: Pliocene-Quaternary vol- canism of Sardinia; Pliocene-Quaternary volcanism of the Iblean area (eastern Sicily); Paleocene-Oligocene Veneto Volcanic Province. Investigations have been focused on 1) petrological features of parental magmas, which may contribute to infer the com- positional characteristics of mantle sources and to constrain the modes of partial melt- ing; 2) modelling the depletion events and metasomatic enrichments in mantle xeno- liths of the three volcanic districts, as well as the nature of their causative agents. Petrological features and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data, both of lava and xenoliths, indicate that DM+HIMU components distinguish the lithospheric mantle sections of Iblean and Veneto Volcanic Provinces. On the other hand, lavas and xenoliths from Sardinia display a significant different isotopic signature characterised by DM+EM1. Similar geochemical fingerprints, i.e. the significant presence of EM components are gener- ally recorded by mafic lavas and mantle xenoliths from the European Plate, whereas they are not observed in the stable African lithospheric domain.

  1. Low temperature dissolution creep induced B-type olivine fabric during serpentinization and deformation in mantle wedge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, W.; Zhang, J.

    2017-12-01

    The B-type olivine fabric (i.e., the [010]ol axes subnormal to foliation and the [001]ol axes subparallel to the lineation) has been regarded as an important olivine fabric for interpreting global trench-parallel S-wave polarization in fore-arc regions. However, strong serpentinization and cold temperature environment in the mantle wedge should inhibit development of the B-type olivine fabric that requires high temperature to activate solid-state plastic deformation. Here we report fabrics of olivine and antigorite generated at low temperatures (300-370 oC) during serpentinization in a fossil mantle wedge of the Val Malenco area, Central Alps. Olivine in the serpentine matrix develops a pronounced B-type fabric, while antigorite in the same matrix displays a strong crystallographic orientation (CPO) with the (001) and the [010] subparallel to foliation and lineation, respectively. The following evidence leads to the conclusion that the B-type olivine fabric is resulted from dissolution creep assisted by grain boundaries sliding (GBS) and grain rotation, rather than solid-state plastic deformation: (1) serpentinization took place at low temperatures and a fluid-enriched environment, ideal for dissolution-precipitation creep; (2) the voids and zigzag boundaries along the interface between antigorite and olivine suggest a fluid dissolution reaction; (3) the primary coarse olivine develops a nearly random fabric, indicating the B-type fabrics in the fine-grained olivine can't be inherited fabrics. These results document for the first time the B-type olivine CPO formed by dissolution creep at low temperatures during serpentinization and provide a mechanism to reconcile petrofabric observations with geophysical observations of trench parallel fast S-wave seismic anisotropy in fore-arc mantle wedge regions.

  2. The peculiar case of Marosticano xenoliths: a cratonic mantle fragment affected by carbonatite metasomatism in the Veneto Volcanic Province (Northern Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brombin, Valentina; Bonadiman, Costanza; Coltorti, Massimo; Florencia Fahnestock, M.; Bryce, Julia G.; Marzoli, Andrea

    2017-04-01

    the typical OSMA array (Arai, 1994b) is observed in typical on-craton mantle rocks (Downes et al., 2004). To corroborate the cratonic "flavour" of these peridotites, in-situ trace element analyses show that Marosticano clinopyroxene have modified their residual characteristics by interaction with deep metasomatic melt, which was able to strong enrich in U, Th, LILE (Rb-Ba) and LREE with respect to the restitic preserved HREE and HFSE (e.g. Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf) contents. The general clinopyroxene trace element distribution and elemental ratios ((La/Yb)N and Ti/Eu; Coltorti et al., 1999) are consistent with enrichment provided by a carbonatitic rather than a silicate metasomatizing agent. To characterize the chemical-physical frame of the MA mantle segment, peridotites equilibration temperatures and oxygen fugacities were also estimated and compared with those of the other VVP xenoliths. The latter comparison leads to i) Marosticano samples record relatively high oxidation conditions (as Mts. Lessini peridotites) in agreement with the range assigned to continental lithosphere (Foley et al., 2011) and ii) these T-fO2 values account for CO2 mole fractions dissolved in a potential metasomatic melt close to 1, further supporting the carbonatitic nature of the infiltrating melt. In this case it can be speculated that the usually low oxidizing conditions of the cratonic mantle have been augmented by the interaction with a carbonatitic melt or with a CO2-rich fluid released by the reaction with a peridotitic matrix. References Arai, S., 1994b. Compositional variation of olivine chromian spinel in Mg-rich magmas as a guide to their residual spinel peridotites. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 59, 279-293. Beccaluva L., Bianchini G., Bonadiman C., Coltorti M., Milani L., Salvini L., Siena F., Tassinari R. (2007). Intraplate lithospheric and sublithospheric components in the Adriatic domain: Nephelinite to tholeiite magma generation in the Paleogene Veneto Volcanic

  3. Internally heated mantle convection and the thermal and degassing history of the earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, David R.; Pan, Vivian

    1992-01-01

    An internally heated model of parameterized whole mantle convection with viscosity dependent on temperature and volatile content is examined. The model is run for 4l6 Gyr, and temperature, heat flow, degassing and regassing rates, stress, and viscosity are calculated. A nominal case is established which shows good agreement with accepted mantle values. The effects of changing various parameters are also tested. All cases show rapid cooling early in the planet's history and strong self-regulation of viscosity due to the temperature and volatile-content dependence. The effects of weakly stress-dependent viscosity are examined within the bounds of this model and are found to be small. Mantle water is typically outgassed rapidly to reach an equilibrium concentration on a time scale of less than 200 Myr for almost all models, the main exception being for models which start out with temperatures well below the melting temperature.

  4. Automated realization of the gallium melting and triple points

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, X.; Duan, Y.; Zhang, J. T.; Wang, W.

    2013-09-01

    In order to improve the automation and convenience of the process involved in realizing the gallium fixed points, an automated apparatus, based on thermoelectric and heat pipe technologies, was designed and developed. This paper describes the apparatus design and procedures for freezing gallium mantles and realizing gallium melting and triple points. Also, investigations on the melting behavior of a gallium melting point cell and of gallium triple point cells were carried out while controlling the temperature outside the gallium point cells at 30 °C, 30.5 °C, 31 °C, and 31.5 °C. The obtained melting plateau curves show dentate temperature oscillations on the melting plateaus for the gallium point cells when thermal couplings occurred between the outer and inner liquid-solid interfaces. The maximum amplitude of the temperature fluctuations was about 1.5 mK. Therefore, the temperature oscillations can be used to indicate the ending of the equilibrium phase transitions. The duration and amplitude of such temperature oscillations depend on the temperature difference between the setting temperature and the gallium point temperature; the smaller the temperature difference, the longer the duration of both the melting plateaus and the temperature fluctuations.

  5. Termination of light-water reactor core-melt accidents with a chemical core catcher: the core-melt source reduction system (COMSORS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsberg, C.W.; Parker, G.W.; Rudolph, J.C.; Osborne-Lee, I.W.; Kenton, M.A.

    1996-09-01

    The Core-Melt Source Reduction System (COMSORS) is a new approach to terminate light-water reactor core melt accidents and ensure containment integrity. A special dissolution glass is placed under the reactor vessel. If core debris is released onto the glass, the glass melts and the debris dissolves into the molten glass, thus creating a homogeneous molten glass. The molten glass, with dissolved core debris, spreads into a wide pool, distributing the heat for removal by radiation to the reactor cavity above or by transfer to water on top of the molten glass. Expected equilibrium glass temperatures are approximately 600 degrees C. The creation of a low-temperature, homogeneous molten glass with known geometry permits cooling of the glass without threatening containment integrity. This report describes the technology, initial experiments to measure key glass properties, and modeling of COMSORS operations

  6. Why Archaean TTG cannot be generated by MORB melting in subduction zones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Hervé; Moyen, Jean-François; Guitreau, Martin; Blichert-Toft, Janne; Le Pennec, Jean-Luc

    2014-06-01

    Until recently it was assumed that the Archaean continental crust (made of TTGs: tonalites, trondhjemites, and granodiorites) was generated through partial melting of MORB-like basalts in hot subduction environments, where the subducted oceanic crust melted at high pressure, leaving a garnet-bearing amphibolitic or eclogitic residue. However, recent geochemical models as well as basalt melting experiments have precluded MORB as a plausible source for TTGs. Rather, geochemical and experimental evidences indicate that formation of TTG required a LILE-enriched source, similar to oceanic plateau basalts. Moreover, subduction is a continuous process, while continental growth is episodic. Several “super-growth events” have been identified at ~ 4.2, ~ 3.8, ~ 3.2, ~ 2.7, ~ 1.8, ~ 1.1, and ~ 0.5 Ga, which is inconsistent with the regular pattern that would be expected from a subduction-driven process. In order to account for this periodicity, it has been proposed that, as subduction proceeds, descending residual slabs accumulate at the 660-km seismic discontinuity. When stored oceanic crust exceeds a certain mass threshold, it rapidly sinks into the mantle as a cold avalanche, which induces the ascent of mantle plumes that in turn produce large amounts of magmas resulting in oceanic plateaus. However, melting at the base of thick oceanic plateaus does not appear to be a realistic process that can account for TTG genesis. Modern oceanic plateaus contain only small volumes (≤ 5%) of felsic magmas generally formed by high degrees of fractional crystallization of basaltic magmas. The composition of these felsic magmas drastically differs from that of TTGs. In Iceland, the interaction between a mantle plume and the mid-Atlantic ridge gives rise to an anomalously (Archaean-like) high geothermal gradient resulting in thick basaltic crust able to melt at shallow depth. Even in this favorable context though, the characteristic Archaean TTG trace element signature is not being

  7. Creating Stiff, Tough, and Functional Hydrogel Composites with Low-Melting-Point Alloys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Riku; Sun, Tao Lin; Saruwatari, Yoshiyuki; Kurokawa, Takayuki; King, Daniel R; Gong, Jian Ping

    2018-04-01

    Reinforcing hydrogels with a rigid scaffold is a promising method to greatly expand the mechanical and physical properties of hydrogels. One of the challenges of creating hydrogel composites is the significant stress that occurs due to swelling mismatch between the water-swollen hydrogel matrix and the rigid skeleton in aqueous media. This stress can cause physical deformation (wrinkling, buckling, or fracture), preventing the fabrication of robust composites. Here, a simple yet versatile method is introduced to create "macroscale" hydrogel composites, by utilizing a rigid reinforcing phase that can relieve stress-induced deformation. A low-melting-point alloy that can transform from a load-bearing solid state to a free-deformable liquid state at relatively low temperature is used as a reinforcing skeleton, which enables the release of any swelling mismatch, regardless of the matrix swelling degree in liquid media. This design can generally provide hydrogels with hybridized functions, including excellent mechanical properties, shape memory, and thermal healing, which are often difficult or impossible to achieve with single-component hydrogel systems. Furthermore, this technique enables controlled electrochemical reactions and channel-structure templating in hydrogel matrices. This work may play an important role in the future design of soft robots, wearable electronics, and biocompatible functional materials. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Experimental investigation of the stability of Fe-rich carbonates in the lower mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boulard, E.; Menguy, N.; Auzende, A.; Benzerara, K.; Bureau, H.; Antonangeli, D.; Corgne, A.; Morard, G.; Siebert, J.; Perrillat, J.; Guyot, F. J.; Fiquet, G.

    2011-12-01

    Carbonates are the main C-bearing minerals that are transported deep in the Earth's mantle via subduction of the oceanic lithosphere [1]. The fate of carbonates at mantle conditions plays a key role in the deep carbon cycle. Decarbonation, melting or reduction of carbonates will affect the extent and the way carbon is recycled into the deep Earth. To clarify the fate of carbonates in the deep mantle, high-pressure high-temperature experiments were carried out up to 105 GPa and 2850 K on oxide assemblages of (Mg,Fe)O + CO2. The presence of Fe(II) in starting materials induces redox reactions from which Fe(II) is oxidized and a part of the carbon is reduced. This leads to an assemblage of magnetite, diamonds, and carbonates or, pressure depending, their newly discovered Fe(III)-bearing high-pressure polymorphs based on a silicate-like chemistry with tetrahedrally coordinated carbon [2]. Our results show the possibility for carbon to be recycled in the lowermost mantle and provide evidence of a possible coexistence of reduced and oxidized carbon at lower mantle conditions. [1] Sleep, N. H., and K. Zahnle (2001) J. Geophys. Res.-Planets 106(E1), 1373-1399. [2] Boulard et al. (2011) PNAS, 108, 5184-5187.

  9. Mantle Convection beneath the Aegir Ridge, a Shadow in the Iceland Hotspot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howell, S. M.; Ito, G.; Breivik, A. J.; Hanan, B. B.; Mjelde, R.; Sayit, K.; Vogt, P. R.

    2012-12-01

    The Iceland Hotspot has produced extensive volcanism spanning much of the ocean basin between Greenland and Norway, forming one of the world's largest igneous provinces. However, an apparent igneous "shadow" in hotspot activity is located at the fossil Aegir Ridge, which formed anomalously thin crust, despite this ridge being near the Iceland hotspot when it was active. The Aegir Ridge accommodated seafloor spreading northeast of present-day Iceland from the time of continental breakup at ~55 Ma until ~25 Ma, at which point spreading shifted west to the Kolbeinsey Ridge. To address the cause of the anomalously thin crust produced by the Aegir Ridge, we use three-dimensional numerical models to simulate the interaction between a mantle plume beneath the Iceland hotspot, rifting continental lithosphere, and the time-evolving North Atlantic ridge system. Two end-member hypotheses were investigated: (1) Material emanating from the Iceland mantle plume was blocked from reaching the Aegir Ridge by the thick lithosphere of the Jan Mayen Microcontinent as the Kolbeinsey Ridge began rifting it from Greenland at ~30 Ma, just east of the plume center; (2) Plume material was not blocked and did reach the Aegir Ridge, but had already experienced partial melting closer to the hotspot. This material was then unable to produce melt volumes at the Aegir Ridge comparable to those of pristine mantle. To test these hypotheses, we vary the volume flux and viscosity of the plume, and identify which conditions do and do not lead to the Aegir Ridge forming anomalously thin crust. Results show that the combination of plume material being drawn into the lithospheric channels beneath the Reykjanes Ridge and Kolbeinsey Ridge after their respective openings, and the impedance of plume flow by the Jan Mayen Microcontinent (hypothesis 1), can deprive the Aegir Ridge of plume influence. This leads to low crustal thicknesses that are comparable to those observed. We have yet to produce a model

  10. Spin Transition in the Lower Mantle: Deep Learning and Pattern Recognition of Superplumes from the Mid-mantle and Mid-mantle Slab Stagnation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuen, D. A.; Shahnas, M. H.; De Hoop, M. V.; Pysklywec, R.

    2016-12-01

    The broad, slow seismic anomalies under Africa and Pacific cannot be explained without ambiguity. There is no well-established theory to explain the fast structures prevalent globally in seismic tomographic images that are commonly accepted to be the remnants of fossil slabs at different depths in the mantle. The spin transition from high spin to low spin in iron in ferropericlase and perovskite, two major constituents of the lower mantle can significantly impact their physical properties. We employ high resolution 2D-axisymmetric and 3D-spherical control volume models to reconcile the influence of the spin transition-induced anomalies in density, thermal expansivity, and bulk modulus in ferropericlase and perovskite on mantle dynamics. The model results reveal that the spin transition effects increase the mixing in the lower regions of mantle. Depending on the changes of bulk modulus associated with the spin transition, these effects may also cause both stagnation of slabs and rising plumes at mid-mantle depths ( 1600 km). The stagnation may be followed by downward or upward penetration of cold or hot mantle material, respectively, through an avalanche process. The size of these mid-mantle plumes reaches 1500 km across with a radial velocity reaching 20 cm/yr near the seismic transition zone and plume heads exceeding 2500 km across. We will employ a deep-learning algorithm to formulate this challenge as a classification problem where modelling/computation aids in the learning stage for detecting the particular patterns.The parameters based on which the convection models are developed are poorly constrained. There are uncertainties in initial conditions, heterogeneities and boundary conditions in the simulations, which are nonlinear. Thus it is difficult to reconstruct the past configuration over long time scales. In order to extract information and better understand the parameters in mantle convection, we employ deep learning algorithm to search for different

  11. Seismic anisotropy and compositionally induced velocity anomalies in the lithosphere above mantle plumes: a petrological and microstructural study of mantle xenoliths from French Polynesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tommasi, Andréa; Godard, Marguerite; Coromina, Guilhem; Dautria, Jean-Marie; Barsczus, Hans

    2004-11-01

    In addition to thermal erosion, plume/lithosphere interaction may induce significant changes in the lithosphere chemical composition. To constrain the extent of this process in an oceanic environment and its consequences on the lithosphere seismic properties, we investigated the relationship between petrological processes and microstructure in mantle xenoliths from different hotspots tracks in South Pacific Superswell region: the Austral-Cook, Society, and Marquesas islands in French Polynesia. Olivine forsterite contents in the studied spinel peridotites vary continuously from Fo91 to Fo83. Dunites and wehrlites display the lowest forsterite contents. Their microstructure and high Ni contents preclude a cumulate origin, suggesting that these rocks result from melt/rock reactions involving olivine precipitation and pyroxene dissolution. In addition, lherzolites and wehrlites display evidence of late crystallization of clinopyroxene, which may result from a near-solidus melt-freezing reaction. These data suggest that the lithosphere above a mantle plume undergoes a complex sequence of magmatic processes that significantly change its composition. These compositional changes, particularly iron enrichment in olivine, result in lower P- and S-waves velocities. Relative to normal lithospheric mantle, compositionally induced seismic anomalies may attain -2.2% for S-waves and -1% for P-waves. Smaller negative anomalies for P-waves are due to a higher sensitivity to modal composition. Conversely, crystal-preferred orientations (CPO) and seismic anisotropy are little affected by these processes. Lherzolites and harzburgites, independent from composition, show high-temperature porphyroclastic microstructures and strong olivine CPO. Dunites and wehrlites display annealing microstructures to which is associated a progressive dispersion of the olivine CPO. Very weak, almost random olivine CPO is nevertheless rare, suggesting that CPO destruction is restricted to domains of

  12. Oxygen isotope geochemistry of the lassen volcanic center, California: Resolving crustal and mantle contributions to continental Arc magmatism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feeley, T.C.; Clynne, M.A.; Winer, G.S.; Grice, W.C.

    2008-01-01

    center of the LVC. Conversely, the ??18O values of the rhyodacitic rocks suggest that the continental crust in the melt generation zones beneath the LVC has been substantially modified by intrusion of mantle-derived basaltic magmas, with the degree of hybridization ranging on a molar oxygen basis from approximately 60% at distances up to 12 km from the center of the system to 97% directly beneath the focus region. These results demonstrate on a relatively small scale the strong influence that intrusion of mantle-derived mafic magmas can have on modifying the composition of pre-existing continental crust in regions of melt production. Given this result, similar, but larger-scale, regional trends in magma compositions may reflect an analogous but more extensive process wherein the continental crust becomes progressively hybridized beneath frontal arc localities as a result of protracted intrusion of subduction-related basaltic magmas. ?? The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

  13. Tin in granitic melts: The role of melting temperature and protolith composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Mathias; Romer, Rolf L.; Franz, Leander; López-Moro, Francisco Javier

    2018-06-01

    Granite bound tin mineralization typically is seen as the result of extreme magmatic fractionation and late exsolution of magmatic fluids. Mineralization, however, also could be obtained at considerably less fractionation if initial melts already had enhanced Sn contents. We present chemical data and results from phase diagram modeling that illustrate the dominant roles of protolith composition, melting conditions, and melt extraction/evolution for the distribution of Sn between melt and restite and, thus, the Sn content of melts. We compare the element partitioning between leucosome and restite of low-temperature and high-temperature migmatites. During low-temperature melting, trace elements partition preferentially into the restite with the possible exception of Sr, Cd, Bi, and Pb, that may be enriched in the melt. In high-temperature melts, Ga, Y, Cd, Sn, REE, Pb, Bi, and U partition preferentially into the melt whereas Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Mo, and Ba stay in the restite. This contrasting behavior is attributed to the stability of trace element sequestering minerals during melt generation. In particular muscovite, biotite, titanite, and rutile act as host phases for Sn and, therefore prevent Sn enrichment in the melt as long as they are stable phases in the restite. As protolith composition controls both the mineral assemblage and modal contents of the various minerals, protolith composition eventually also controls the fertility of a rock during anatexis, restite mineralogy, and partitioning behavior of trace metals. If a particular trace element is sequestered in a phase that is stable during partial melting, the resulting melt is depleted in this element whereas the restite becomes enriched. Melt generation at high temperature may release Sn when Sn-hosts become unstable. If melt has not been lost before the breakdown of Sn-hosts, Sn contents in the melt will increase but never will be high. In contrast, if melt has been lost before the decomposition of Sn

  14. Tracing the HIMU component within Pan-African lithosphere beneath northeast Africa: Evidence from Late Cretaceous Natash alkaline volcanics, Egypt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu El-Rus, M. A.; Chazot, G.; Vannucci, R.; Paquette, J.-L.

    2018-02-01

    A large late Cretaceous ( 90 Ma) volcanic field (the Natash volcanic province) crops out in southeast Egypt at the northwestern boundary of the Arabian-Nubian shield. The lavas are mainly of alkaline affinity and exhibit a continuous compositional range from alkali olivine basalt (AOB) to trachyte and rhyolite. All basaltic lavas in the province record various extents of fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase and spinel. The basaltic lavas show variations in Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopic ratios [(87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7030-0.70286; (143Nd/144Nd)i = 0.512653-0.512761; (206Pb/204Pb)i = 19.28-19.94; (177Hf-176Hf)i = 0.28274-0.28285], that correlate markedly with the major and trace element ratios and abundances. Assimilation of crustal material cannot explain these correlations, and we invoke instead melting of a multicomponent mantle source. We infer the existence of High-μ (HIMU), Enriched mantle type-I (EM-I) and Depleted mantle (DM) domains in the melting source, with a predominant contribution from the HIMU-type. We suggests further that the basaltic lavas originate from low degrees of partial melting (F negative K-anomalies in the primitive mantle-normalized patterns of the fractionation-corrected melts. The presence of amphibole within the lithosphere is a strong evidence that the lithospheric mantle underwent metasomatic enrichment prior to melting in Late Cretaceous. This metasomatic event affected on the Pb isotopic compositions of the Natash volcanics by adding Th and U to the melting source. Time-integrated calculations to remove the decoupling between 206Pb and 207Pb isotopes that most probably resulted from the metasomatic event indicate a tentative link between the metasomatism occurring in the Pan-African lithospheric mantle and the formation of juvenile crust during the Pan-African Orogeny. A two stage evolution model is therefore proposed for volcanism in the Natash area: fluxing of the lithosphere by hydrous fluids during Pan

  15. Continental smokers couple mantle degassing and distinctive microbiology within continents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crossey, Laura J.; Karlstrom, Karl E.; Schmandt, Brandon; Crow, Ryan R.; Colman, Daniel R.; Cron, Brandi; Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina D.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Northup, Diana E.; Hilton, David R.; Ricketts, Jason W.; Lowry, Anthony R.

    2016-02-01

    The discovery of oceanic black (and white) smokers revolutionized our understanding of mid-ocean ridges and led to the recognition of new organisms and ecosystems. Continental smokers, defined here to include a broad range of carbonic springs, hot springs, and fumaroles that vent mantle-derived fluids in continental settings, exhibit many of the same processes of heat and mass transfer and ecosystem niche differentiation. Helium isotope (3He/4He) analyses indicate that widespread mantle degassing is taking place in the western U.S.A., and that variations in mantle helium values correlate best with low seismic-velocity domains in the mantle and lateral contrasts in mantle velocity rather than crustal parameters such as GPS, proximity to volcanoes, crustal velocity, or composition. Microbial community analyses indicate that these springs can host novel microorganisms. A targeted analysis of four springs in New Mexico yield the first published occurrence of chemolithoautotrophic Zetaproteobacteria in a continental setting. These observations lead to two linked hypotheses: that mantle-derived volatiles transit through conduits in extending continental lithosphere preferentially above and at the edges of mantle low velocity domains. High CO2 and other constituents ultimately derived from mantle volatiles drive water-rock interactions and heterogeneous fluid mixing that help structure diverse and distinctive microbial communities.

  16. Application of the zone-melting technique to metal chelate systems-VI A new apparatus for zone-melting chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, S; Kobayashi, H; Ueno, K

    1973-07-01

    An improved apparatus has been constructed for zone-melting chromatography. An essential feature of the apparatus is that the length of the molten zone can be kept constant during a zone-melting operation, by employing heating and cooling compartments which are separated from each other by double partition plates. Each compartment is heated or cooled with jets of hot or cold air. The apparatus is suitable for organic materials melting in the range between 40 degrees and 180 degrees . The distribution of metal ion along the column after zone melting of copper acetylacetonate in 2-methoxynaphthalene was a smooth curve. The plot of the position of maximum concentration, x(max), against the number of zone passes, n, gave a relationship in accordance with theoretical prediction.

  17. Processes accompanying of mantle plume emplacement into continental lithosphere: Evidence from NW Arabian plate, Western Syria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharkov, E. V.

    2015-12-01

    Lower crustal xenoliths occurred in the Middle Cretaceous lamprophyre diatremes in Jabel Ansaria (Western Syria) (Sharkov et al., 1992). They are represented mainly garnet granulites and eclogite-like rocks, which underwent by deformations and retrograde metamorphism, and younger fresh pegmatoid garnet-kaersutite-clinopyroxene (Al-Ti augite) rocks; mantle peridotites are absent in these populations. According to mineralogical geothermobarometers, forming of garnet-granulite suite rocks occurred under pressure 13.5-15.4 kbar (depths 45-54 kn) and temperature 965-1115oC. At the same time, among populations of mantle xenoliths in the Late Cenozoic platobasalts of the region, quite the contrary, lower crustal xenoliths are absent, however, predominated spinel lherzolites (fragments of upper cooled rim of a plume head), derived from the close depths (30-40 km: Sharkov, Bogatikov, 2015). From this follows that ancient continental crust was existed here even in the Middle Cretaceous, but in the Late Cenozoic was removed by extended mantle plume head; at that upper sialic crust was not involved in geomechanic processes, because Precambrian metamorphic rocks survived as a basement for Cambrian to Cenozoic sedimentary cover of Arabian platform. In other words, though cardinal rebuilding of deep-seated structure of the region occurred in the Late Cenozoic but it did not affect on the upper shell of the ancient lithosphere. Because composition of mantle xenolithis in basalts is practically similar worldwide, we suggest that deep-seated processes are analogous also. As emplacement of the mantle plume heads accompanied by powerful basaltic magmatism, very likely that range of lower (mafic) continental crust existence is very convenient for extension of plume heads and their adiabatic melting. If such level, because of whatever reasons, was not reached, melting was limited but appeared excess of volatile matters which led to forming of lamprophyre or even kimberlite.

  18. The System Forsterite-Diopside-Enstatite up to 70 kbar and its Significance to the Genesis of Komatiites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dasgupta, S.; Gupta, A. K.

    2011-12-01

    Liquidus phase relations in the system forsterite-diopside-enstatite has been made at 70 kbar under anhydrous conditions using a Walker-type multi-anvil high pressure apparatus. Positions of the pseudoeutectic/ invariant, minimum points and amount of solid solutions of appearing phases are summarized in table 1. Comparison of these phase relations with those conducted by previous investigators at lower pressures and temperatures shows that the fosterite-pyroxene liquidus boundary shifts toward forsterite and away from the diopside apex with increasing pressure. Microprobe analyses indicate that the maximum amount of MgSiO3 that can be incorporated in diopside increases with pressure, and at the solidus (70 kbar, 2010°C), it is about 82%. On the basis of EPMA analyses of coexisting liquid and crystalline phases, three-phase triangles have been constructed. It is observed that at 70 kbar, the early partial melt generated from a model peridotite does not precipitate orthopyroxene. If such a melt instead of crystallizing in-situ, ascend to the surface, then the polybaric-polythermal crystallization path should never intersect the liquidus phase field of orthopyroxene, enstatitess may then appear in the solidus as an exsolution product. Our calculation shows that at 31% partial melting of a model mantle, orthopyroxene should appear as a liquidus phase. With further increase in the degree of partial melting (42-60%), proportion of orthopyroxene crystallizing from the melt progressively increases. With reference to the above discussion we propose that the Gorgona komatiites which are primarily orthopyroxene-deficient komatiites, are an outcome of low degree of partial melting, whereas the orthopyroxene-bearing Commondale komatiites of the southern Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa, are the outcome of a larger degree of partial melting, both generated from melting of an anhydrous mantle.

  19. Survival of the Lhasa Terrane during its collision with Asia due to crust-mantle coupling revealed by ca. 114 Ma intrusive rocks in western Tibet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qing; Zhu, Di-Cheng; Liu, An-Lin; Cawood, Peter A.; Liu, Sheng-Ao; Xia, Ying; Chen, Yue; Wang, Hao; Zhang, Liang-Liang; Zhao, Zhi-Dan

    2018-04-01

    Survival of the Lhasa Terrane during its drift across the Tethyan Ocean and subsequent collision with Asia was likely maintained by mechanical coupling between its ancient lithospheric mantle and the overlying crust. Evidence for this coupling is provided by geochronological and geochemical data from high-Mg dioritic porphyrite dikes that intruded into granodiorites with dioritic enclaves within the Nixiong Batholith in the western segment of the central Lhasa subterrane, southern Tibet. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating indicates synchronous emplacement of dioritic porphyrite dikes (113.9 ± 2 Ma), dioritic enclaves (113.9 ± 1 Ma), and host granodiorites (113.1 ± 2 Ma). The hornblende-bearing granodiorites are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous (A/CNK = 0.95-1.05) and belong to high-K calc-alkaline I-type granite. These rocks are characterized by low Mg# (37-43), negative zircon εHf(t) values (-6.8 to -1.2), and negative whole-rock εNd(t) values (-8.1 to -5.4), suggestive of derivation through anatexis of ancient lower crust. The two least-mixed or contaminated dioritic porphyrite dike samples have high MgO (8.46-8.74 wt%), high Mg# (69-70), and high abundances of compatible elements (e.g., Cr = 673-646 ppm, Ni = 177-189 ppm), which are close to those of primitive magma. They are high-K calc-alkaline and show negative whole-rock εNd(t) values (-1.9 to -1.2), indicating that these samples are most likely derived from the partial melting of ancient lithospheric mantle that was metasomatized by slab-derived fluids. The dioritic enclave samples are metaluminous high-K calc-alkaline and have varying negative whole-rock εNd(t) values (-7.8 to -3.7), which are interpreted as the result of magma mixing between the ancient lower crust-derived melts and asthenospheric mantle- (rather than lithospheric mantle-) derived melts. The Nd isotope mantle model ages of the least-mixed or contaminated high-Mg dioritic porphyrite dike samples (1.1-1.4 Ga) are close to the Nd isotope

  20. Large-scale compositional heterogeneity in the Earth's mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballmer, M.

    2017-12-01

    Seismic imaging of subducted Farallon and Tethys lithosphere in the lower mantle has been taken as evidence for whole-mantle convection, and efficient mantle mixing. However, cosmochemical constraints point to a lower-mantle composition that has a lower Mg/Si compared to upper-mantle pyrolite. Moreover, geochemical signatures of magmatic rocks indicate the long-term persistence of primordial reservoirs somewhere in the mantle. In this presentation, I establish geodynamic mechanisms for sustaining large-scale (primordial) heterogeneity in the Earth's mantle using numerical models. Mantle flow is controlled by rock density and viscosity. Variations in intrinsic rock density, such as due to heterogeneity in basalt or iron content, can induce layering or partial layering in the mantle. Layering can be sustained in the presence of persistent whole mantle convection due to active "unmixing" of heterogeneity in low-viscosity domains, e.g. in the transition zone or near the core-mantle boundary [1]. On the other hand, lateral variations in intrinsic rock viscosity, such as due to heterogeneity in Mg/Si, can strongly affect the mixing timescales of the mantle. In the extreme case, intrinsically strong rocks may remain unmixed through the age of the Earth, and persist as large-scale domains in the mid-mantle due to focusing of deformation along weak conveyor belts [2]. That large-scale lateral heterogeneity and/or layering can persist in the presence of whole-mantle convection can explain the stagnation of some slabs, as well as the deflection of some plumes, in the mid-mantle. These findings indeed motivate new seismic studies for rigorous testing of model predictions. [1] Ballmer, M. D., N. C. Schmerr, T. Nakagawa, and J. Ritsema (2015), Science Advances, doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500815. [2] Ballmer, M. D., C. Houser, J. W. Hernlund, R. Wentzcovitch, and K. Hirose (2017), Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo2898.

  1. Large fluctuations of shallow seas in low-lying Southeast Asia driven by mantle flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahirovic, Sabin; Flament, Nicolas; Dietmar Müller, R.; Seton, Maria; Gurnis, Michael

    2016-09-01

    The Sundaland continental promontory, as the core of Southeast Asia, is one of the lowest lying continental regions, with half of the continental area presently inundated by a shallow sea. The role of mantle convection in driving long-wavelength topography and vertical motion of the lithosphere in this region has often been ignored when interpreting regional stratigraphy, including a widespread Late Cretaceous-Eocene unconformity, despite a consensus that Southeast Asia is presently situated over a large-amplitude dynamic topography low resulting from long-term post-Pangea subduction. We use forward numerical models to link mantle flow with surface tectonics and compare predicted trends of dynamic topography with eustasy and regional paleogeography to determine the influence of mantle convection on regional basin histories. A Late Cretaceous collision of Gondwana-derived terranes with Sundaland choked the active margin, leading to slab breakoff and a ˜10-15 Myr-long subduction hiatus. A subduction hiatus likely resulted in several hundred meters of dynamic uplift and emergence of Sundaland between ˜80 and 60 Ma and may explain the absence of a Late Cretaceous-Eocene sedimentary record. Renewed subduction from ˜60 Ma reinitiated dynamic subsidence of Sundaland, leading to submergence from ˜40 Ma despite falling long-term global sea levels. Our results highlight a complete "down-up-down" dynamic topography cycle experienced by Sundaland, with transient dynamic topography manifesting as a major regional unconformity in sedimentary basins.

  2. Interaction of extended mantle plume head with ancient lithosphere: evidence from deep-seated xenoliths in basalts and lamprophyre diatremes in Western Syria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharkov, Evgenii

    2016-04-01

    The Middle Cretaceous lamprophyric diatremes of the Jabel Ansaria Ridge contain xenoliths of ancient lower crustal rocks mainly represented by the suite of partly altered garnet granulite and eclogite-like rocks, which were formed at the expense of ferrogabbros and ferroclinopyroxenites most likely in the course of underplating of Fe-Ti basalt. Garnet (Alm26Grs11Py63) megacrysts and coarse-granular garnet-clinopyroxene intergrowths are most likely the varieties of rocks of this series. Garnet megacrysts are represented by large (up to 10 cm in diameter) round "nodules," often molten from the surface. Garnet is usually fractured, and the kelyphite material similar to that in rocks of the eclogite-granulite series occurs in fractures. In addition, we found several intergrowths of garnet with large (up to 3-5 cm in length) crystals of high-Al augite with the low of Ti and Na contents like in rocks of the eclogite-granulite suite. Coarse-grained garnet-clinopyroxene-hornblende rocks with spinel, as well as megacrysts of Al-Ti augite with kaersutite, form the second group in prevalence. This group is close to mantle xenoliths of the "black series" in alkali Fe-Ti basalt worldwide. Kaersutite in these rocks contains gaseous cavities, which provides evidence for the origin of rocks at the expense of a strongly fluidized melt/fluid. In contrast to rocks of the eclogite-granulite series, these rocks did not undergo alteration. Garnet Alm19-26Grs12-13.5Py59-67.5 usually associates with dark opaque spinel. In contrast, the Late Cenozoic plateaubasalts of the region practically do not contain lower crustal xenoliths, whereas xenoliths of mantle spinel lherzolite (fragments of the upper cooled rim of the plume head) are widely abundant. According to data of mineralogical thermobarometry, rocks of the eclogite-granulite suite were formed at 13.5-15.4 kbar (depths of 45-54 km) and 965-1115°C. Rocks of this suite are typical representatives of the continental lower crust

  3. Redox dependent behaviour of molybdenum during magmatic processes in the terrestrial and lunar mantle: Implications for the Mo/W of the bulk silicate Moon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leitzke, F. P.; Fonseca, R. O. C.; Sprung, P.; Mallmann, G.; Lagos, M.; Michely, L. T.; Münker, C.

    2017-09-01

    We present results of high-temperature olivine-melt, pyroxene-melt and plagioclase-melt partitioning experiments aimed at investigating the redox transition of Mo in silicate systems. Data for a series of other minor and trace elements (Sc, Ba, Sr, Cr, REE, Y, HFSE, U, Th and W) were also acquired to constrain the incorporation of Mo in silicate minerals. All experiments were carried out in vertical tube furnaces at 1 bar and temperatures ranging from ca. 1220 to 1300 °C. Oxygen fugacity was controlled via CO-CO2 gas mixtures and varied systematically from 5.5 log units below to 1.9 log units above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) redox buffer thereby covering the range in oxygen fugacities of terrestrial and lunar basalt genesis. Molybdenum is shown to be volatile at oxygen fugacities above FMQ and that its compatibility in pyroxene and olivine increases three orders of magnitude towards the more reducing conditions covered in this study. The partitioning results show that Mo is dominantly tetravalent at redox conditions below FMQ-4 and dominantly hexavalent at redox conditions above FMQ. Given the differences in oxidation states of the terrestrial (oxidized) and lunar (reduced) mantles, molybdenum will behave significantly differently during basalt genesis in the Earth (i.e. highly incompatible; average DMoperidotite/melt ∼ 0.008) and Moon (i.e. moderately incompatible/compatible; average DMoperidotite/melt ∼ 0.6). Thus, it is expected that Mo will strongly fractionate from W during partial melting in the lunar mantle, given that W is broadly incompatible at FMQ-5. Moreover, the depletion of Mo and the Mo/W range in lunar samples can be reproduced by simply assuming a primitive Earth-like Mo/W for the bulk silicate Moon. Such a lunar composition is in striking agreement with the Moon being derived from the primitive terrestrial mantle after core formation on Earth.

  4. Northeast Atlantic Igneous Province volcanic margin development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mjelde, R.; Breivik, A. J.; Faleide, J. I.

    2009-04-01

    Zone (JMFZ) system and the Færøy archipelago. Our unpublished data on the conjugate margin of the eastern Jan Mayen ridge confirm this. North of the JMFZ, early magmatism appears to be caused by the combined effect of elevated temperature and convection, while there is a rapid transition to predominantly temperature dominated melting ~2 M.y. after breakup. This is similar to the northern conjugate East Greenland profiles we examined (Voss and Jokat, 2007), while the southern of their two profiles indicates that convection is not turned off at that side. Conjugate differences in igneous crustal thickness further indicate asymmetric conjugate magmatic development. For comparison, we applied the same analysis to data from the Vøring Spur located off the Vøring Margin, and the igneous crust beneath the Jan Mayen Island. Both show little H-Vp correlation with generally lowVp, indicating that these igneous features were created through low-degree mantle melting created by some kind of mantle convection without an elevated temperature component.

  5. B-type olivine fabric induced by low temperature dissolution creep during serpentinization and deformation in mantle wedge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wenlong; Zhang, Junfeng; Barou, Fabrice

    2018-01-01

    The B-type olivine fabric (i.e., the [010] axes subnormal to foliation and the [001] axes subparallel to the lineation) has been regarded as an important olivine fabric for interpreting global trench-parallel S-wave polarization in fore-arc regions. However, strong serpentinization and cold temperature environment in the mantle wedge should inhibit development of the B-type olivine fabric that requires high temperature to activate solid-state plastic deformation. Here we report fabrics of olivine and antigorite generated at low temperatures (300-370 °C) during serpentinization in a fossil mantle wedge of the Val Malenco area, Central Alps. Olivine in the serpentine matrix develops a pronounced B-type fabric, while antigorite in the same matrix displays a strong crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) with the (001) planes and the [010] axes subparallel to foliation and lineation, respectively. The following evidence leads to the conclusion that the B-type olivine fabric results from dissolution creep assisted by grain boundary sliding (GBS) and grain rotation, rather than solid-state plastic deformation: (1) serpentinization took place at low temperatures and a fluid-enriched environment, ideal for dissolution-precipitation creep; (2) the voids and zigzag boundaries along the interface between antigorite and olivine suggest a fluid dissolution reaction; (3) the primary coarse olivine develops a nearly random fabric, indicating the B-type fabrics in the fine-grained olivine may not be inherited fabrics. These results document for the first time the B-type olivine CPO formed by dissolution creep at low temperatures during serpentinization and provide a mechanism to reconcile petrofabric observations with geophysical observations of trench parallel fast S-wave seismic anisotropy in fore-arc mantle wedge regions.

  6. Seismic anisotropy; a window on how the Earth works: multiple mechanisms and sites, from shallow mantle to inner core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osmaston, Miles

    2013-04-01

    , including generating internally a very strong push-apart force, the straightness of MOR segments is the automatic result of accretion controlled by lateral cooling [8]. Olivine crystal has grossly anisotropic thermal conductivity, high on the a-axis [9] so, contrasting with the much lower conductivity of melt, suitably oriented ones on the crack walls grow the fastest and build in the seismic anisotropy from the start. For ophiolites, I will illustrate a close relative of this thick-plate model, but geared to their specific near-continent genesis and emplacement, which provides for their very real shearing and anisotropy at the crust-tectonite junction and for the 25 - 50 km metamorphic pressures in their soles [10]. A remarkably fertile model for the genesis of intraplate volcanism, without plumes, is also provided by this thick-plate perspective of plate dynamics [11]. We now move to deeper in the mantle. Attachment of the LVZ material to the ocean plate and the low conductivity of its interstial melt renders it still buoyant when the bigger ridge push makes it subduct [12]. Seismological transects of subduction zones show that this heat re-emerges at depth to partially melt the interface former oceanic crust, the result (on experimental evidence) being stishovitic residue plus (because of its compressibility) very dense ultramafic melt [12]. Both will shower into the lower mantle and eventually form layers on D'', the melt being prevented from freezing because that would need the energy to increase its volume. Hence the seismic anisotropy of D''. Moving still deeper, to the outer-core flows from which the Inner Core has grown. I attribute its cigar shape to preferential addition to its polar regions, from a downwelling flow, not to deformation of the IC, except perhaps as weak isostatic adjustment to that polar addition. I speculate that polar-aligned columnar growth of iron crystals, although themselves not strongly anisotropic, would impound 'less pure' alloy between

  7. Platinum-group element contents of Karelian kimberlites: Implications for the PGE budget of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maier, W. D.; O'Brien, H.; Peltonen, P.; Barnes, Sarah-Jane

    2017-11-01

    We present high-precision isotope dilution data for Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd and Re in Group I and Group II kimberlites from the Karelian craton, as well as 2 samples of the Premier Group I kimberlite pipe from the Kaapvaal craton. The samples have, on average, 1.38 ppb Pt and 1.33 ppb Pd, with Pt/Pd around unity. These PGE levels are markedly lower, by as much as 80%, than those reported previously for kimberlites from South Africa, Brazil and India, but overlap with PGE results reported recently from Canadian kimberlites. Primitive-mantle-normalised chalcophile element patterns are relatively flat from Os to Pt, but Cu, Ni and, somewhat less so, Au are enriched relative to the PGE (e.g., Cu/Pd > 25.000). Pd/Ir ratios are 3,6 on average, lower than in most other mantle melts. The PGE systematics can be largely explained by two components, (i) harzburgite/lherzolite detritus of the SCLM with relatively high IPGE (Os-Ir-Ru)/PPGE (Rh-Pt-Pd) ratios, and (ii) a melt component that has high PPGE/IPGE ratios. By using the concentrations of iridium in the kimberlites as a proxy for the proportion of mantle detritus in the magma, we estimate that the analysed kimberlites contain 3-27% entrained and partially dissolved detritus from the sub-continental lithospheric mantle, consistent with previous estimates of kimberlites elsewhere (Tappe S. et al., 2016, Chem. Geol. 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.08.019).

  8. Keweenaw hot spot: Geophysical evidence for a 1.1 Ga mantle plume beneath the Midcontinent Rift System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, D.R.; White, R.S.; Cannon, W.F.; Schulz, K.J.

    1990-01-01

    The Proterozoic Midcontinent Rift System of North America is remarkably similar to Phanerozoic rifted continental margins and flood basalt provinces. Like the younger analogues, the volcanism within this older rift can be explained by decompression melting and rapid extrusion of igneous material during lithospheric extension above a broad, asthenospheric, thermal anomaly which we call the Keweenaw hot spot. Great Lakes International Multidisciplinary Program on Crustal Evolution seismic reflection profiles constrain end-member models of melt thickness and stretching factors, which yield an inferred mantle potential temperature of 1500°–1570°C during rifting. Combined gravity modeling and subsidence calculations are consistent with stretching factors that reached 3 or 4 before rifting ceased, and much of the lower crust beneath the rift consists of relatively high density intruded or underplated synrift igneous material. The isotopic signature of Keweenawan volcanic rocks, presented in a companion paper by Nicholson and Shirey (this issue), is consistent with our model of passive rifting above an asthenospheric mantle plume.

  9. Onset of solid state mantle convection and mixing during magma ocean solidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurice, Maxime; Tosi, Nicola; Samuel, Henri; Plesa, Ana-Catalina; Hüttig, Christian; Breuer, Doris

    2017-04-01

    The fractional crystallization of a magma ocean can cause the formation of a compositional layering that can play a fundamental role for the subsequent long-term dynamics of the interior, for the evolution of geochemical reservoirs, and for surface tectonics. In order to assess to what extent primordial compositional heterogeneities generated by magma ocean solidification can be preserved, we investigate the solidification of a whole-mantle Martian magma ocean, and in particular the conditions that allow solid state convection to start mixing the mantle before solidification is completed. To this end, we performed 2-D numerical simulations in a cylindrical geometry. We treat the liquid magma ocean in a parametrized way while we self-consistently solve the conservation equations of thermochemical convection in the growing solid cumulates accounting for pressure-, temperature- and, where it applies, melt-dependent viscosity as well as parametrized yield stress to account for plastic yielding. By testing the effects of different cooling rates and convective vigor, we show that for a lifetime of the liquid magma ocean of 1 Myr or longer, the onset of solid state convection prior to complete mantle crystallization is likely and that a significant part of the compositional heterogeneities generated by fractionation can be erased by efficient mantle mixing.

  10. Upper Mantle Dynamics of Bangladesh by Splitting Analyzes of Core Refracted SKS and SKKS Waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, A. K.; Bhushan, K.; Eken, T.; Singh, A.

    2017-12-01

    New shear wave splitting measurements are obtained from hitherto less studied Bengal Basin using core refracted SKS and SKKS phases. Splitting parameters, time delays (δt) and fast polarization directions (Φ) were estimated through analysis of 64 high-quality waveforms (≥ 2.5 signal to noise ratio) from 29 earthquakes with magnitude ≥5.5 recorded at eight seismic stations deployed over Bangladesh. We found no evidence of splitting which indicates azimuthal isotropy beneath the region. Null measurements can be explained by near vertical axis of anisotropy or by the presence of multiple anisotropic layers with different fast polarization directions, where combined effect results in null. We consider that the presence of partial melts within the upper mantle due to Kerguelen mantle plume activities may be the potential geodynamic cause for observed null measurements. It locally perturbed mantle convection flow beneath the region and reoriented the lattice preferred orientation of the upper mantle mineral mainly olivine as this disabled the core refracted SKS and SKKS phases to scan the anisotropic characteristics of the region, and hence null measurements are obtained.

  11. Grain-Size Dynamics Beneath Mid-Ocean Ridges: Implications for Permeability and Melt Extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, A. J.; Katz, R. F.; Behn, M. D.

    2014-12-01

    The permeability structure of the sub-ridge mantle plays an important role in how melt is focused and extracted at mid-ocean ridges. Permeability is controlled by porosity and the grain size of the solid mantle matrix, which is in turn controlled by the deformation conditions. To date, models of grain size evolution and mantle deformation have not been coupled to determine the influence of spatial variations in grain-size on the permeability structure at mid-ocean ridges. Rather, current models typically assume a constant grain size for the whole domain [1]. Here, we use 2-D numerical models to evaluate the influence of grain-size variability on the permeability structure beneath a mid-ocean ridge and use these results to speculate on the consequences for melt focusing and extraction. We construct a two-dimensional, single phase model for the steady-state grain size beneath a mid-ocean ridge. The model employs a composite rheology of diffusion creep, dislocation creep, dislocation accommodated grain boundary sliding, and a brittle stress limiter. Grain size is calculated using the "wattmeter" model of Austin and Evans [2]. We investigate the sensitivity of the model to global variations in grain growth exponent, potential temperature, spreading-rate, and grain boundary sliding parameters [3,4]. Our model predicts that permeability varies by two orders of magnitude due to the spatial variability of grain size within the expected melt region of a mid-ocean ridge. The predicted permeability structure suggests grain size may promote focusing of melt towards the ridge axis. Furthermore, the calculated grain size structure should focus melt from a greater depth than models that exclude grain-size variability. Future work will involve evaluating this hypothesis by implementing grain-size dynamics within a two-phase mid-ocean ridge model. The developments of such a model will be discussed. References: [1] R. F. Katz, Journal of Petrology, volume 49, issue 12, page 2099

  12. Oxygen isotope partitioning between rhyolitic glass/melt and CO2: An experimental study at 550-950 degrees C and 1 bar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palin, J.M.; Epstein, S.; Stolper, E.M.

    1996-01-01

    Oxygen isotope partitioning between gaseous CO 2 and a natural rhyolitic glass and melt (77.7 wt% SiO 2 , 0.16 wt% H 2 O total ) has been measured at 550-950 degrees C and approximately 1 bar. Equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation factors (α CO2-rhyolite = ( 18 O/ 16 O) rhyolite ) determined in exchange experiments of 100-255 day duration. These values agree well with predictions based on experimentally determined oxygen isotope fractionation factors for CO 2 -silica glass and CO 2 -albitic glass/melt, if the rhyolitic glass is taken to be a simple mixture of normative silica and alkali feldspar components. The results indicate that oxygen isotope partitioning in felsic glasses and melts can be modeled by linear combinations of endmember silicate constituents. Rates of oxygen isotope exchange observed in the partitioning experiments are consistent with control by diffusion of molecular H 2 O dissolved in the glass/melt and are three orders of magnitude faster than predicted for rate control solely by diffusion of dissolved molecular CO 2 under the experimental conditions. Additional experiments using untreated and dehydrated (0.09 wt% H 2 O total ) rhyolitic glass quantatively support these interpretations. We conclude that diffusive oxygen isotope exchange in rhyolitic glass/melt, and probably other polymerized silicate materials, it controlled by the concentrations and diffusivities of dissolved oxygen-bearing volatile species rather than diffusion of network oxygen under all but the most volatile-poor conditions. 25 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

  13. Restitic or not? Insights from trace element content and crystal - Structure of spinels in African mantle xenoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenaz, Davide; Musco, Maria Elena; Petrelli, Maurizio; Caldeira, Rita; De Min, Angelo; Marzoli, Andrea; Mata, Joao; Perugini, Diego; Princivalle, Francesco; Boumehdi, Moulay Ahmed; Bensaid, Idris Ali Ahmadi; Youbi, Nasrrddine

    2017-05-01

    The lithospheric architecture of Africa consists of several Archean cratons and smaller cratonic fragments, stitched together and flanked by polycyclic fold belts. Here we investigate the structure and chemistry of spinels from lithospheric mantle xenoliths from distinct tectonic settings, i.e. from the Saharan metacraton in Libya (Waw-En-Namus) which could show archaic chemical features, Cameroon (Barombi Koto and Nyos Lakes) where the Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle was modified during the Pan-African event and fluxed by asthenospheric melts of the Tertiary Cameroon Volcanic Line and Morocco (Tafraoute, Bou-Ibalrhatene maars) in the Middle Atlas where different metasomatic events have been recorded. From a structural point of view it is to notice that the Libyan spinels can be divided into two groups having different oxygen positional parameter (u > 0.2632 and u Morocco spinels show a Tc in the range 630-760 °C. About 150 different spinels have been studied for their trace element content and it can be seen that many of them are related to Cr content, while Zn and Co are not and clearly distinguish the occurrences. Differences in the trace element chemistry, in the structural parameters and in the intracrystalline closure temperatures suggest that a different history should be considered for Cameroon, Morocco and LB I and LB II spinels. Even if it was not considered for this purpose, we tentatively used the Fe2 +/Fe3 + vs. TiO2 diagram that discriminate between peridotitic and the so-called "magmatic" spinels, i.e. spinel crystallized from melts. LB I and LB II spinels plot in the peridotitic field while Cameroon and Morocco spinels fall in the magmatic one. Consequently, the xenoliths sampled from a probably juvenile SCLM at the edge of the most important lithospheric roots (i.e. Cameroon and Morocco) apparently have spinels possibly fractionated in situ from percolating melts and do not represent a real spinel-peridotite facies. On the contrary mantle

  14. Linking Serpentinite Geochemistry with Possible Alteration and Evolution of Supra-Subduction Wedge Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scambelluri, M.; Cannaò, E.; Agostini, S.; Gilio, M.

    2016-12-01

    Serpentinites are able to transport and release volatiles and fluid-mobile elements (FME) found in arc magmas. Constraining the trace element compositions of these rocks and of fluids released by de-serpentinization improves our knowledge of mass transfer from subduction zones to volcanic arcs, and of the role of slab and wedge mantle in this global process. Studies of high-pressure ultramafic rocks exhumed from plate interface settings reveal the fluid/rock interactions atop the slab and the processes that can affect the mantle wedge. Alpine eclogite-facies antigorite serpentinite (Voltri Massif) and fully de-serpentinized meta-peridotite (Cima di Gagnone) are enriched in sediment-derived As, Sb, U, Pb before peak dehydration. Their Sr, Pb and B isotopic compositions are reset during prograde (forearc) interaction with slab fluids. The eclogitic garnet and olivine from the Cima di Gagnone metaperidotite trap primary inclusions of the fluid released during breakdown of antigorite and chlorite. The inclusions display FME enrichments (high Cl, S; variable Cs, Rb, Ba, B, Pb, As, Sb) indicating element release from rocks to fluids during dehydration under subarc conditions. Our studies show that serpentinized mantle rocks from subduction zones sequester FME from slab fluids and convey these components and radiogenic isotopes into the mantle wedge upon dehydration. The geochemical processes revealed by such plate-interface rocks can apply to the supra-subduction mantle. Shallow element release from slabs to mantle wedge, downdrag of this altered mantle and its subsequent (subarc) dehydration transfers crust-derived FMEs to the arc magma sources without the need of concomitant subarc dehydration/melting of metasedimentary slab components. The slab signature detected in arc lavas can thus result from geochemical mixing of sediment, oceanic crust and ultramafic reservoirs into altered wedge-mantle rocks, rather than being attributed to multiple fluids.

  15. Radiological safety assessment of gas mantle industries in India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadagopan, G.; Venkataraman, G.

    1994-01-01

    Thorium, a radioactive element of actinide family was discovered by Berzelius in 1828 and named by him in honor of the Scandinavian God open-quote Thor close-quote. Following its discovery the earliest known use of thorium was in the making of gas mantles. The other use as an X-ray contrast medium open-quote Thorotrast close-quote has since long been discontinued, where as even today its use in gas mantles is continued. Gas lights have been used as a source of light since 1800's. In India, although electric bulbs have replaced most of the gas lights, even today in villages and in urban areas where there is no continuous power supply and in outdoor lightings gas lamps are used. The mantle which is used in these lamps is called the Welsbach mantle and is a netted hose that is impregnated with thorium nitrate and other metals. The function of a gas mantle is to produce a bright light during operation of the lighting device (gas or kerosene lamp) in which the mantle is placed. When placed in a lighting device and heated to 1300-1800 degree Celcius thorium in the mantle incandesces and gives off bright light. In India presently there are about 70 manufacturing units handling 150 metric tons of thorium nitrate annually. There are about four hundred persons involved in manufacturing 200 million mantles per year. Thorium is chosen because of its property of incadescence, however since it is radioactive, radiation safety of the workplace, handling personnel and safe environmental condition for members of public have to be maintained

  16. Geodynamic control on melt production in the central Azores : new insights from major and trace elements, Sr, Nd, Pb, Hf isotopic data and K/Ar ages on the islands of Terceira, Sao Jorge and Faial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildenbrand, A.; Weis, D. A.; Madureira, P.; Marques, F. O.

    2012-12-01

    dilute expression of the enriched components. In contrast, the youngest lavas (< 750 ka) erupted along the N110 main structural direction on the three islands are significantly enriched in LILE and LREE, and generally have variable but more radiogenic isotopic compositions. Such characteristics suggest low-degree partial melting and greater incorporation of fertile residual mantle anomalies during passive tectonic reactivation of pre-existing transform faults promoted by recent ridge-push at the MAR. We propose that sub-aerial volcanism over the last 1.3 Myr in the central Azores recorded a sudden change in the conditions of melt generation which most probably reveals a major reconfiguration of regional deformation accompanying the recent geodynamic reorganization of the Eurasia-Nubia plate boundary.

  17. Seismic Investigations of the Crust and Upper Mantle Structure in Antarctica and Madagascar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez, Cristo

    In the three studies that form this dissertation, seismic data from Antarctica and Madagascar have been analyzed to obtain new insights into crustal structure and mantle flow. Until recently, there have been little seismic data available from these areas for interrogating Earth structure and processes. In Antarctica, I analyzed datasets from temporary deployments of broadband seismic stations in both East and West Antarctica. In Madagascar, I analyzed data from a temporary network of broadband stations, along with data from three permanent stations. The seismic data have been processed and modeled using a wide range of techniques to characterize crust and mantle structure. Crustal structure in the East Antarctic Craton resembles Precambrian terrains around the world in its thickness and shear wave velocities. The West Antarctic Rift System has thinner crust, consistent with crustal thickness beneath other Cretaceous rifts. The Transantarctic Mountains show thickening of the crust from the costal regions towards the interior of the mountain range, and high velocities in the lower crust at several locations, possibly resulting from the Ferrar magmatic event. Ross Island and Marie Byrd Land Dome have elevated crustal Vp/Vs ratios, suggesting the presence of partial melt and/or volcaniclastic material within the crust. The pattern of seismic anisotropy in Madagascar is complex and cannot arise solely due to mantle flow from the African superplume, as previously proposed. To explain the complex pattern of anisotropy, a combination of mechanisms needs to be invoked, including mantle flow from the African superplume, mantle flow from the Comoros hotspot, small scale upwelling in the mantle induced by lithospheric delamination, and fossil anisotropy in the lithospheric mantle along Precambrian shear zones.

  18. Carbonate metasomatism and CO2 lithosphere-asthenosphere degassing beneath the western Mediterranean: An integrated model arising from petrological and geophysical data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frezzotti, Maria Luce; Peccerillo, Angelo; Panza, Giuliano

    2009-03-01

    We present an integrated petrological, geochemical, and geophysical model that offers an explanation for the present-day anomalously high non-volcanic deep (mantle derived) CO 2 emission in the Tyrrhenian region. We investigate how decarbonation or melting of carbonate-rich lithologies from a subducted lithosphere may affect the efficiency of carbon release in the lithosphere-asthenosphere system. We propose that melting of sediments and/or continental crust of the subducted Adriatic-Ionian (African) lithosphere at pressure greater than 4 GPa (130 km) may represent an efficient mean for carbon cycling into the upper mantle and into the exosphere in the Western Mediterranean area. Melting of carbonated lithologies, induced by the progressive rise of mantle temperatures behind the eastward retreating Adriatic-Ionian subducting plate, generates low fractions of carbonate-rich (hydrous-silicate) melts. Due to their low density and viscosity, such melts can migrate upward through the mantle, forming a carbonated partially molten CO 2 -rich mantle recorded by tomographic images in the depth range from 130 to 60 km. Upwelling in the mantle of carbonate-rich melts to depths less than 60 - 70 km, induces massive outgassing of CO 2 . Buoyancy forces, probably favored by fluid overpressures, are able to allow migration of CO 2 from the mantle to the surface, through deep lithospheric faults, and its accumulation beneath the Moho and within the lower crust. The present model may also explain CO 2 enrichment of the Etna active volcano. Deep CO 2 cycling is tentatively quantified in terms of conservative carbon mantle flux in the investigated area. (author)

  19. The Effect of Pressure on Iron Speciation in Silicate Melts at a Fixed Oxygen Fugacity: The Possibility of a Redox Profile Through a Terrestrial Magma Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, K.; Frost, D. J.; McCammon, C. A.; Rubie, D. C.; Boffa Ballaran, T.

    2017-12-01

    As terrestrial planets accreted, mantle silicates equilibrated with core-forming metallic iron, which would have imposed a mantle oxygen fugacity below the iron-wüstite oxygen buffer. Throughout Earth's history, however, the oxygen fugacity of at least the accessible portions of the upper mantle has been 4-5 orders of magnitude higher. The process that caused the rapid increase in the redox state of the mantle soon after core formation is unclear. Here we test the possibility that pressure stabilises ferric iron in silicate melts, as has been observed in silicate minerals. A deep magma ocean, which would have likely existed towards the end of accretion, could then develop a gradient in oxygen fugacity for a fixed ferric-ferrous ratio as a result of pressure. We have equilibrated an andesitic melt with a Ru-RuO2 buffer in a multianvil press between 5 and 24 GPa. Further experiments were performed on the same melt in equilibrium with iron metal. The recovered melts were then analysed using Mössbauer spectroscopy to determine the ferric/ferrous ratio. The results show that for the Ru-RuO2 buffer at lower pressures, the ferric iron content decreases with pressure, due to a positive volume change of the reaction FeO + 1/4O2 = FeO1.5. Ferric iron content also appears to be sensitive to water content at lower pressures. However, above 15 GPa this trend apparently reverses and the ferric iron content increases with pressure. This reversal in pressure dependence would drive the oxygen fugacity of a deep magma ocean with a fixed ferric/ferrous ratio down with increasing depth. This would create a redox gradient, where the magma ocean could potentially be in equilibrium with metallic iron at its base but more oxidised in its shallower regions. Crystallisation of this magma ocean could render an upper mantle oxygen fugacity similar to that in the Earth's accessible mantle today.

  20. On the issues of resolving a low melting combination as a definite ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    On the issues of resolving a low melting combination as a definite eutectic or an elusive cocrystal: A critical .... and external (surroundings - temperature, pressure, sol- vent, kinetics, etc.) ...... Chem. Res. 39 2068; (d) Urbanus J, Roelands C P M,.

  1. Amphiboles as indicators of mantle source contamination: Combined evaluation of stable H and O isotope compositions and trace element ratios

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Demény, A.; Harangi, S.; Vennemann, T.W.; Casillas, R.; Horváth, P.; Milton, A.J.; Mason, P.R.D.; Ulianov, A.

    2012-01-01

    Stable isotope and trace element compositions of igneous amphiboles from different tectonic settings (ocean island basalts, intraplate alkaline basalts, subduction-related andesitic complexes) were compiled to help understand the role of fluids and melts in subduction-related mantle metasomatism

  2. Fractional ultrabasic-basic evolution of upper-mantle magmatism: Evidence from xenoliths in kimberlites, inclusions in diamonds and experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litvin, Yuriy; Kuzyura, Anastasia

    2017-04-01

    Ultrabasic peridotites and pyroxenites together with basic eclogites are the upper-mantle in situ rocks among xenoliths in kimberlites. Occasionally their diamond-bearing varieties have revealed within the xenoliths. Therewith the compositions of rock-forming minerals demonstrate features characteristic for primary diamond-included minerals of peridotite and eclogite parageneses (the elevated contents of Cr-component in peridotitic garnets and Na-jadeitic component in eclogitic clinopyroxenes). High-pressure experimental study of melting equilibria on the multicomponent peridotie-pyroxenite system olivine Ol - orthopyroxene Opx - clinopyroxene Cpx - garnet Grt showed that Opx disappeared in the peritectic reaction Opx+L→Cpx (Litvin, 1991). As a result, the invariant peritectic equilibrium Ol+Opx+Cpx+Grt+L of the ultrabasic system was found to transform into the univariant cotectic assemblage Ol+Cpx+Grt+L. Further experimental investigation showed that olivine reacts with jadeitic component (Jd) with formation of garnet at higher 4.5 GPa (Gasparik, Litvin, 1997). Study of melting relations in the multicomponent system Ol - Cpx - Jd permits to discover the peritectic point Ol+Omph+Grt+L (where Omph - omphacitic clinopyroxene) at concentration 3-4 wt.% Jd-component in the system. The reactionary loss of Opx and Ol makes it possible to transform the 4-phase garnet lherzolite ultrabasic association into the bimineral eclogite assemblage. The regime of fractional Ol, Cpx and Grt crystallization must be accompanied by increasing content of jadeitic component in residual melts that causes the complete "garnetization of olivine". In the subsequent evolution, the melts would have to fractionate for basic SiO2-saturated compositions responsible for petrogenesis of eclogite varieties marked with accessory corundum Crn, kyanite Ky and coesite Coe. Both the peritectic mechanisms occur in regime of fractional crystallization. The sequence of the upper-mantle fractional

  3. Numerical simulations of the mantle lithosphere delamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morency, C.; Doin, M.-P.

    2004-03-01

    Sudden uplift, extension, and increased igneous activity are often explained by rapid mechanical thinning of the lithospheric mantle. Two main thinning mechanisms have been proposed, convective removal of a thickened lithospheric root and delamination of the mantle lithosphere along the Moho. In the latter case, the whole mantle lithosphere peels away from the crust by the propagation of a localized shear zone and sinks into the mantle. To study this mechanism, we perform two-dimensional (2-D) numerical simulations of convection using a viscoplastic rheology with an effective viscosity depending strongly on temperature, depth, composition (crust/mantle), and stress. The simulations develop in four steps. (1) We first obtain "classical" sublithospheric convection for a long time period (˜300 Myr), yielding a slightly heterogeneous lithospheric temperature structure. (2) At some time, in some simulations, a strong thinning of the mantle occurs progressively in a small area (˜100 km wide). This process puts the asthenosphere in direct contact with the lower crust. (3) Large pieces of mantle lithosphere then quickly sink into the mantle by the horizontal propagation of a detachment level away from the "asthenospheric conduit" or by progressive erosion on the flanks of the delaminated area. (4) Delamination pauses or stops when the lithospheric mantle part detaches or when small-scale convection on the flanks of the delaminated area is counterbalanced by heat diffusion. We determine the parameters (crustal thicknesses, activation energies, and friction coefficients) leading to delamination initiation (step 2). We find that delamination initiates where the Moho temperature is the highest, as soon as the crust and mantle viscosities are sufficiently low. Delamination should occur on Earth when the Moho temperature exceeds ˜800°C. This condition can be reached by thermal relaxation in a thickened crust in orogenic setting or by corner flow lithospheric erosion in the

  4. Constraints on the Parental Melts of Enriched Shergottites from Image Analysis and High Pressure Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collinet, M.; Medard, E.; Devouard, B.; Peslier, A.

    2012-01-01

    Martian basalts can be classified in at least two geochemically different families: enriched and depleted shergottites. Enriched shergottites are characterized by higher incompatible element concentrations and initial Sr-87/Sr-86 and lower initial Nd-143/Nd-144 and Hf-176/Hf-177 than depleted shergottites [e.g. 1, 2]. It is now generally admitted that shergottites result from the melting of at least two distinct mantle reservoirs [e.g. 2, 3]. Some of the olivine-phyric shergottites (either depleted or enriched), the most magnesian Martian basalts, could represent primitive melts, which are of considerable interest to constrain mantle sources. Two depleted olivine-phyric shergottites, Yamato (Y) 980459 and Northwest Africa (NWA) 5789, are in equilibrium with their most magnesian olivine (Fig. 1) and their bulk rock compositions are inferred to represent primitive melts [4, 5]. Larkman Nunatak (LAR) 06319 [3, 6, 7] and NWA 1068 [8], the most magnesian enriched basalts, have bulk Mg# that are too high to be in equilibrium with their olivine megacryst cores. Parental melt compositions have been estimated by subtracting the most magnesian olivine from the bulk rock composition, assuming that olivine megacrysts have partially accumulated [3, 9]. However, because this technique does not account for the actual petrography of these meteorites, we used image analysis to study these rocks history, reconstruct their parent magma and understand the nature of olivine megacrysts.

  5. Mars’ Low Dissipation Factor at 11-h - Interpretation from Anelasticity-Based Dissipation Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Choukroun, M.

    2010-10-01

    We explore the information contained in the ratio of the tidal Love number k2 to the dissipation factor Q characterizing the response of Mars to the tides exerted by its satellite Phobos (11-h period). Assuming that Mars can be approximated as a Maxwell body, Bills et al. [1] have inferred an average viscosity of the Martian mantle 8.7x1014 Pa s. Such a low viscosity appears inconsistent with Mars’ thermal evolution and current heat budget models. Alternative explanations include the presence of partial melt in the mantle [2], or the presence of an aquifer in the crust [3]. We revisit the interpretation of Mars’ k2/Q using a laboratory-based attenuation model that accounts for material viscoelasticity and anelasticity. As a first step, we have computed Mars’ k2/Q for an interior model that includes a solid inner core, a liquid core layer, a mantle, and crust (consistent with the observed moment of inertia, and k2 measured at the orbital period), and searched for the range of mantle viscosities that can explain the observed k2/Q. Successful models are characterized by an average mantle viscosity between 1018 and 1022 Pa s, which rules out the presence of partial melt in the mantle. We can narrow down that range by performing a more detailed calculation of the mineralogy and temperature profiles. Preliminary results will be presented at the meeting. References: [1] Bills et al. (2005) JGR 110, E00704; [2] Ruedas et al. (2009 White paper to the NRC Planetary Science decadal survey; [3] Bills et al. (2009) LPS 40, 1712. MC is supported by a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities. This work has been conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract to NASA. Government sponsorship acknowledged.

  6. Mantle hydration and Cl-rich fluids in the subduction forearc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynard, Bruno

    2016-12-01

    In the forearc region, aqueous fluids are released from the subducting slab at a rate depending on its thermal state. Escaping fluids tend to rise vertically unless they meet permeability barriers such as the deformed plate interface or the Moho of the overriding plate. Channeling of fluids along the plate interface and Moho may result in fluid overpressure in the oceanic crust, precipitation of quartz from fluids, and low Poisson ratio areas associated with tremors. Above the subducting plate, the forearc mantle wedge is the place of intense reactions between dehydration fluids from the subducting slab and ultramafic rocks leading to extensive serpentinization. The plate interface is mechanically decoupled, most likely in relation to serpentinization, thereby isolating the forearc mantle wedge from convection as a cold, potentially serpentinized and buoyant, body. Geophysical studies are unique probes to the interactions between fluids and rocks in the forearc mantle, and experimental constrains on rock properties allow inferring fluid migration and fluid-rock reactions from geophysical data. Seismic velocities reveal a high degree of serpentinization of the forearc mantle in hot subduction zones, and little serpentinization in the coldest subduction zones because the warmer the subduction zone, the higher the amount of water released by dehydration of hydrothermally altered oceanic lithosphere. Interpretation of seismic data from petrophysical constrain is limited by complex effects due to anisotropy that needs to be assessed both in the analysis and interpretation of seismic data. Electrical conductivity increases with increasing fluid content and temperature of the subduction. However, the forearc mantle of Northern Cascadia, the hottest subduction zone where extensive serpentinization was first demonstrated, shows only modest electrical conductivity. Electrical conductivity may vary not only with the thermal state of the subduction zone, but also with time for

  7. Deep crustal melt plumbing of Bárðarbunga volcano, Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson, T. S.; White, R. S.; Greenfield, T.; Ágústsdóttir, T.; Brisbourne, A.; Green, R. G.

    2017-09-01

    Understanding magmatic plumbing within the Earth's crust is important for understanding volcanic systems and improving eruption forecasting. We discuss magma plumbing under Bárðarbunga volcano, Iceland, over a 4 year period encompassing the largest Icelandic eruption in 230 years. Microseismicity extends through the usually ductile region of the Earth's crust, from 7 to 22 km depth in a subvertical column. Moment tensor solutions for an example earthquake exhibits opening tensile crack behavior. This is consistent with the deep (>7 km) seismicity being caused by the movement of melt in the normally aseismic crust. The seismically inferred melt path from the mantle source is offset laterally from the center of the Bárðarbunga caldera by 12 km, rather than lying directly beneath it. It is likely that an aseismic melt feed also exists directly beneath the caldera and is aseismic due to elevated temperatures and pervasive partial melt under the caldera.

  8. Trace element and isotopic compositions of Vietnamese basalts: implications for mantle dynamics in the southeast Asian region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, H.; Fower, M.; Nguyen, H.; Nguyen, X.B.; Nguyen, T.Y.

    1996-01-01

    Cenozoic basalts in Indo-China are part of a regional melting episode along the rifted Eurasian margin. Trace element and isotopic compositions of Vietnamese basalts are used to place constraints on the extent of lithospheric and asthenosphere contributions to the melts and possible mantle dynamic implications. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb, and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb isotopic ratios of the basalts reflect minimal crustal wall rock reaction, and variable enrichment in EM1 and EM2 of a 208 Pb-rich MORB-like source. Some, but not all, of this variation corresponds to the age of lithospheric sector penetrated. Basalts erupted through a cratonic, central sector (e.g. at Quang Ngai, Pleiku, Song Cau, Kong Plong, and Buon Ma Thuot) and off-cratonic, southwest sector (e.g. Phuoc Long) resemble those of EM2-rich basalts from southern and southeaster China and the South China Sea. Basalts from an off-cratonic, southeast sector (e.g. from Dalat, Xuan Loc, and the offshore Ile des Cendres-Phu Cuy complex) reflect mixing between a low- 206 Pb/ 204 Pb, high- 208 Pb/ 204 Pb, EM1-like component, and resemble basalts from northwest Taiwan, eastern and northeastern China, and parts of the Japan Sea. While EM2 tends to characterise lithospheric sectors, presence of EM1 in off-cratonic rather than cratonic basalts implies an asthenosphere rather than lithospheric source. Pervasive presence of EM1 in southeast Asian and marginal basin asthenosphere corresponds with thermally-anomalous mantle and may involve delaminated cratonic substrate entrained by mobile, extruded asthenosphere. (authors)

  9. Actinide, lanthanide and fission product speciation and electrochemistry in high and low temperature ionic melts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhatt, Anand I.; Kinoshita, Hajime; Koster, Anne L.; May, Iain; Sharrad, Clint A.; Volkovich, Vladimir A.; Fox, O. Danny; Jones, Chris J.; Lewin, Bob G.; Charnock, John M.; Hennig, Christoph

    2004-07-01

    There is currently a great deal of research interest in the development of molten salt technology, both classical high temperature melts and low temperature ionic liquids, for the electrochemical separation of the actinides from spent nuclear fuel. We are interested in gaining a better understanding of actinide and key fission product speciation and electrochemical properties in a range of melts. Our studies in high temperature alkali metal melts (including LiCl and LiCl-KCl and CsCl-NaCl eutectics) have focussed on in-situ species of U, Th, Tc and Ru using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS, both EXAFS and XANES) and electronic absorption spectroscopy (EAS). We report unusual actinide speciation in high temperature melts and an evaluation of the likelihood of Ru or Tc volatilization during plant operation. Our studies in lower temperature melts (ionic liquids) have focussed on salts containing tertiary alkyl group 15 cations and the bis(tri-fluor-methyl)sulfonyl)imide anion, melts which we have shown to have exceptionally wide electrochemical windows. We report Ln, Th, U and Np speciation (XAS, EAS and vibrational spectroscopy) and electrochemistry in these melts and relate the solution studies to crystallographic characterised benchmark species. (authors)

  10. Actinide, lanthanide and fission product speciation and electrochemistry in high and low temperature ionic melts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhatt, Anand I.; Kinoshita, Hajime; Koster, Anne L.; May, Iain; Sharrad, Clint A.; Volkovich, Vladimir A.; Fox, O. Danny; Jones, Chris J.; Lewin, Bob G.; Charnock, John M.; Hennig, Christoph

    2004-01-01

    There is currently a great deal of research interest in the development of molten salt technology, both classical high temperature melts and low temperature ionic liquids, for the electrochemical separation of the actinides from spent nuclear fuel. We are interested in gaining a better understanding of actinide and key fission product speciation and electrochemical properties in a range of melts. Our studies in high temperature alkali metal melts (including LiCl and LiCl-KCl and CsCl-NaCl eutectics) have focussed on in-situ species of U, Th, Tc and Ru using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS, both EXAFS and XANES) and electronic absorption spectroscopy (EAS). We report unusual actinide speciation in high temperature melts and an evaluation of the likelihood of Ru or Tc volatilization during plant operation. Our studies in lower temperature melts (ionic liquids) have focussed on salts containing tertiary alkyl group 15 cations and the bis(tri-fluor-methyl)sulfonyl)imide anion, melts which we have shown to have exceptionally wide electrochemical windows. We report Ln, Th, U and Np speciation (XAS, EAS and vibrational spectroscopy) and electrochemistry in these melts and relate the solution studies to crystallographic characterised benchmark species. (authors)

  11. Shear-wave splitting observations of mantle anisotropy beneath Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellesiles, A. K.; Christensen, D. H.; Entwistle, E.; Litherland, M.; Abers, G. A.; Song, X.

    2009-12-01

    Observations of seismic anisotropy were obtained from three different PASSCAL broadband experiments throughout Alaska, using shear-wave splitting from teleseismic SKS phases. The MOOS (Multidisciplinary Observations Of Subduction), BEAAR (Broadband Experiment Across the Alaska Range), and ARCTIC (Alaska Receiving Cross-Transects for the Inner Core) networks were used along with selected permanent broadband stations operated by AEIC (Alaska Earthquake Information Center) to produce seismic anisotropy results for the state of Alaska along a north south transect from the active subduction zone in the south, through continental Alaska, to the passive margin in the north. The BEAAR network is in-between the ARCTIC and MOOS networks above the subducting Pacific Plate and mantle wedge and shows a tight ~90 degree rotation of anisotropy above the 70km contour of the subducting plate. The southern stations in BEAAR yield anisotropy results that are subparallel to the Pacific Plate motion as it subducts under North America. These stations have an average fast direction of -45 degrees and 1.03 seconds of delay on average. The MOOS network in south central Alaska yielded similar results with an average fast direction of -30 degrees and delay times of .9 seconds. In the north portion of the BEAAR network the anisotropy is along strike of the subduction zone and has an average fast direction of 27 degrees with an average delay time of 1.4 seconds, although the delay times above the mantle wedge range from 1 to 2.5 seconds and are directly correlated to the length of ray path in the mantle wedge. This general trend NE/SW is seen in the ARCTIC stations to the north although the furthest north stations are oriented more NNE compared to those in BEAAR. The average fast direction for the ARCTIC network is 40 degrees with an average delay time of 1.05 seconds. These results show two distinct orientations of anisotropy in Alaska separated by the subducting Pacific Plate.

  12. Water in the Cratonic Mantle: Insights from FTIR Data on Lac De Gras Xenoliths (Slave Craton, Canada)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peslier, Anne H.; Brandon, Alan D.; Schaffer, Lillian Aurora; O'Reilly, Suzanne Yvette; Griffin, William L.; Morris, Richard V.; Graff, Trevor G.; Agresti, David G.

    2014-01-01

    The mantle lithosphere beneath the cratonic part of continents is the deepest (> 200 km) and oldest (>2-3 Ga) on Earth, remaining a conundrum as to how these cratonic roots could have resisted delamination by asthenospheric convection over time. Water, or trace H incorporated in mineral defects, could be a key player in the evolution of continental lithosphere because it influences melting and rheology of the mantle. Mantle xenoliths from the Lac de Gras kimberlite in the Slave craton were analyzed by FTIR. The cratonic mantle beneath Lac de Gras is stratified with shallow (water contents extending to higher values than those from the shallow ones. The FTIR spectra of olivines from the shallow samples have more prominent Group II OH bands compared to the olivines from the deep samples, consistent with a more oxidized mantle environment. The range of olivine water content is similar to that observed in Kaapvaal craton peridotites at the same depths (129-184 km) but does not extend to as high values as those from Udachnaya (Siberian craton). The Slave, Kaapvaal and Siberian cratons will be compared in terms of water content distribution, controls and role in cratonic root longevity.

  13. The effect of Ti and Nb on nitrogen dissolution reaction in stainless steel melt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Min Whan; Hong, In Kook; Pak, Jong Jin; Song, Hyo Seok; Lee, Yong Deuk

    2002-01-01

    A kinetic study of nitrogen dissolution in STS304 stainless steel melt containing Ti and Nb has been carried out at 1500 degree C using an induction furnace and a levitation melting furnace. At low O and S levels, the nitrogen dissolution rate showed the first-order kinetics being controlled by the mass transfer of nitrogen in the melt. Ti addition to STS304 stainless melt significantly retarded the nitrogen dissolution rate by the formation of solid Ti oxide layer adhered on the melt surface. Nb did not affect the rate of nitrogen dissolution. In the levitation melting experiment where the oxide layer was removed from the melt surface, Ti did not retard the nitrogen dissolution rate. Simultaneous addition of Ti and Al increased the dissolution rate by the formation of non-wetting Al 2 O 3 on the melt surface. A small addition of CaO-Al 2 O 3 synthetic flux to Ti containing melt was very effective to remove the oxide layer, hence to increase the nitrogen dissolution rate

  14. The effect of Ti and Nb on nitrogen dissolution reaction in stainless steel melt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jang, Min Whan; Hong, In Kook; Pak, Jong Jin [Hanyang Univ., Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Song, Hyo Seok; Lee, Yong Deuk [POSCO, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-03-01

    A kinetic study of nitrogen dissolution in STS304 stainless steel melt containing Ti and Nb has been carried out at 1500 degree C using an induction furnace and a levitation melting furnace. At low O and S levels, the nitrogen dissolution rate showed the first-order kinetics being controlled by the mass transfer of nitrogen in the melt. Ti addition to STS304 stainless melt significantly retarded the nitrogen dissolution rate by the formation of solid Ti oxide layer adhered on the melt surface. Nb did not affect the rate of nitrogen dissolution. In the levitation melting experiment where the oxide layer was removed from the melt surface, Ti did not retard the nitrogen dissolution rate. Simultaneous addition of Ti and Al increased the dissolution rate by the formation of non-wetting Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} on the melt surface. A small addition of CaO-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} synthetic flux to Ti containing melt was very effective to remove the oxide layer, hence to increase the nitrogen dissolution rate.

  15. Upper Mantle Responses to India-Eurasia Collision in Indochina, Malaysia, and the South China Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hongsresawat, S.; Russo, R. M.

    2016-12-01

    We present new shear wave splitting and splitting intensity measurements from SK(K)S phases recorded at seismic stations of the Malaysian National Seismic Network. These results, in conjunction with results from Tibet and Yunnan provide a basis for testing the degree to which Indochina and South China Sea upper mantle fabrics are responses to India-Eurasia collision. Upper mantle fabrics derived from shear wave splitting measurements in Yunnan and eastern Tibet parallel geodetic surface motions north of 26°N, requiring transmission of tractions from upper mantle depths to surface, or consistent deformation boundary conditions throughout the upper 200 km of crust and mantle. Shear wave splitting fast trends and surface velocities diverge in eastern Yunnan and south of 26°N, indicating development of an asthenospheric layer that decouples crust and upper mantle, or corner flow above the subducted Indo-Burma slab. E-W fast shear wave splitting trends southwest of 26°N/104°E indicate strong gradients in any asthenospheric infiltration. Possible upper mantle flow regimes beneath Indochina include development of olivine b-axis anisotropic symmetry due to high strain and hydrous conditions in the syntaxis/Indo-Burma mantle wedge (i.e., southward flow), development of strong upper mantle corner flow in the Indo-Burma wedge with olivine a-axis anisotropic symmetry (i.e., westward flow), and simple asthenospheric flow due to eastward motion of Sundaland shearing underlying asthenosphere. Further south, shear-wave splitting delay times at Malaysian stations vary from 0.5 seconds on the Malay Peninsula to over 2 seconds at stations on Borneo. Splitting fast trends at Borneo stations and Singapore trend NE-SW, but in northern Peninsular Malaysia, the splitting fast polarization direction is NW-SE, parallel to the trend of the Peninsula. Thus, there is a sharp transition from low delay time and NW-SE fast polarization to high delay times and fast polarization directions that

  16. Mission Moho: Rationale for drilling deep through the ocean crust into the upper mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ildefonse, B.; Abe, N.; Kelemen, P. B.; Kumagai, H.; Teagle, D. A. H.; Wilson, D. S.; Moho Proponents, Mission

    2009-04-01

    Sampling a complete section of the ocean crust to the Moho was the original inspiration for scientific ocean drilling, and remains the main goal of the 21st Century Mohole Initiative in the IODP Science Plan. Fundamental questions about the composition, structure, and geophysical characteristics of the ocean lithosphere, and about the magnitude of chemical exchanges between the mantle, crust and oceans remain unresolved due to the absence of in-situ samples and measurements. The geological nature of the Mohorovičić discontinuity itself remains poorly constrained. "Mission Moho" is a proposal that was submitted to IODP in April 2007, with the ambition to drill completely through intact oceanic crust formed at a fast spreading rate, across the Moho and into the uppermost mantle. Although, eventually, no long-term mission was approved by IODP, the scientific objectives related to deep drilling in the ocean crust remain essential to our understanding of the Earth. These objectives are to : - Determine the geological meaning of the Moho in different oceanic settings, determine the in situ composition, structure and physical properties of the uppermost mantle, and understand mantle melt migration, - Determine the bulk composition of the oceanic crust to establish the chemical links between erupted lavas and primary mantle melts, understand the extent and intensity of seawater hydrothermal exchange with the lithosphere, and estimate the chemical fluxes returned to the mantle by subduction, - Test competing hypotheses of the ocean crust accretion at fast spreading mid-ocean ridges, and quantify the linkages and feedbacks between magma intrusion, hydrothermal circulation and tectonic activity, - Calibrate regional seismic measurements against recovered cores and borehole measurements, and understand the origin of marine magnetic anomalies, - Establish the limits of life in the ocean lithosphere. The "MoHole" was planned as the final stage of Mission Moho, which requires

  17. Simulation of melt spreading in consideration of phase transitions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spengler, C. [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, Koeln (Germany)

    2002-07-01

    The analysis of melt spreading and relocation phenomena in the containment of LWR power plants in case of hypothetical severe accidents leading to core melting is an important issue for reactor safety investigations. For the simulation of melt spreading the code LAVA has been developed on the basis of a method from the related subject of volcanology by adding more detailed models for heat transfer phenomena and flow rheology. The development is supported by basic analysis of the spreading of gravity currents as well as experimental investigations of the rheology of solidifying melts. These exhibit strong non-Newtonian effects in case of a high content of solids in the freezing melt. The basic model assumption in LAVA is the ideal Bingham plastic approach to the non-Newtonian, shear-thinning characteristic of solidifying melts. For the recalculation of melt spreading experiments, the temperature-dependent material properties for solidifying melt mixtures have been calculated using correlations from the literature. With the parameters and correlations for the rheological material properties approached by results from literature, it was possible to recalculate successfully recent spreading experiments with simulant materials and prototypic reactor core materials. An application to the behaviour of core melt in the reactor cavity assumed a borderline case for the issue of spreading. This limit is represented by melt conditions (large solid fraction, low volume flux), under which the melt is hardly spreadable. Due to the persistent volume flux the reactor cavity is completely, but inhomogeneously filled with melt. The degree of inhomogeneity is rather small, so it is concluded, that for the long-term coolability of a melt pool in narrow cavities the spreading of melt will probably have only negligible influence. (orig.)

  18. Experiments with the low-melting indium-bismuth alloy system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krepski, R.P.

    1992-01-01

    The following is a laboratory experiment designed to create an interest in and to further understanding of materials science. The primary audience for this material is the junior high school or middle school science student having no previous familiarity with the material, other than some knowledge of temperature and the concepts of atoms, elements, compounds, and chemical reactions. The objective of the experiment is to investigate the indium-bismuth alloy system. Near the eutectic composition, the liquidus is well below the boiling point of water, allowing simple, minimal hazard casting experiments. Such phenomena as metal oxidation, formation of intermetallic compound crystals, and an unusual volume increase during solidification could all be directly observed. A key concept for students to absorb is that properties of an alloy (melting point, mechanical behavior) may not correlate with simple interpolation of properties of the pure components. Discussion of other low melting metals and alloys leads to consideration of environmental and toxicity issues, as well as providing some historical context. Wetting behavior can also be explored

  19. Low-degree partial melting of metapelites - another possible implement for selective concentration of uranium: Example from the Rozna uranium deposit, Bohemian Massif

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leichmann, J.; Matula, M.; Broska, I.; Holeczy, D.

    2002-01-01

    Monazite, as the main carrier of U and Th in host biotite gneiss at the Rozna uranium deposit, was replaced by allanite during the process of partial melting. The transformation was accompanied by a release of U, and to a lesser extent of Th, from the monazite lattice. The liberated U and Th crystallized in the extracted granitic melt mainly in the form of thorogummite or cheralite. The granites are depleted in HFS and LREE. Garnet-poor granites are depleted in HREE as well, whereas garnet-rich types are enriched in HREE. (author)

  20. Analysis of crustal thickness and off-axis low-velocity zones at the Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, A. E.; Hooft, E. E.; Toomey, D. R.; Wilcock, W. S.; Weekly, R. T.

    2010-12-01

    is interpreted to have developed when the northwestward migrating Juan de Fuca Ridge overrode the mantle melt anomaly associated with the Heckle seamount chain. We investigate the segment-scale history of melt supply and the presence of off-axis crustal low-velocity zones using data from a multi-scale Endeavour seismic tomography experiment (ETOMO) that took place in September 2009. Seismic data were collected using four-component ocean bottom seismometers at 64 sites and the 6600 in3 airgun array of the R/V Marcus G. Langseth. The study includes 5567 shots covering 90 km along-axis and 50 km across. We examine seismic travel times of Pg and PmP phases as well as amplitude and waveform changes. Preliminary analysis of amplitude and waveform changes indicates that there are several crustal-level low-velocity, high-attenuation regions associated with off-axis ridges and volcanic features. We will determine whether there is enhanced melt supply due to the interaction between the Heckle seamount melting anomaly and the center of the Endeavour segment. We will also test whether volcano-tectonic cycles generate regions of thicker and thinner crust.

  1. Density structure of the cratonic mantle in southern Africa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Artemieva, Irina; Vinnik, Lev P.

    2016-01-01

    contributions of the both factors to surface topography in the cratons of southern Africa. Our analysis takes advantage of the SASE seismic experiment which provided high resolution regional models of the crustal thickness.We calculate the model of density structure of the lithospheric mantle in southern Africa...... that mantle residual (dynamic) topography may be associated with the low-density region below the depth of isostatic compensation. A possible candidate is the low velocity layer between the lithospheric base and the mantle transition zone, where a temperature anomaly of 100-200. °C in a ca. 100-150. km thick...... layer may explain the observed reduction in Vs velocity and may produce ca. 0.5-1.0. km to the regional topographic uplift....

  2. Low-melting point inorganic nitrate salt heat transfer fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradshaw, Robert W [Livermore, CA; Brosseau, Douglas A [Albuquerque, NM

    2009-09-15

    A low-melting point, heat transfer fluid made of a mixture of four inorganic nitrate salts: 9-18 wt % NaNO.sub.3, 40-52 wt % KNO.sub.3, 13-21 wt % LiNO.sub.3, and 20-27 wt % Ca(NO.sub.3).sub.2. These compositions can have liquidus temperatures less than 100 C; thermal stability limits greater than 500 C; and viscosity in the range of 5-6 cP at 300 C; and 2-3 cP at 400 C.

  3. Dynamical links between small- and large-scale mantle heterogeneity: Seismological evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frost, Daniel A.; Garnero, Edward J.; Rost, Sebastian

    2018-01-01

    We identify PKP • PKP scattered waves (also known as P‧ •P‧) from earthquakes recorded at small-aperture seismic arrays at distances less than 65°. P‧ •P‧ energy travels as a PKP wave through the core, up into the mantle, then scatters back down through the core to the receiver as a second PKP. P‧ •P‧ waves are unique in that they allow scattering heterogeneities throughout the mantle to be imaged. We use array-processing methods to amplify low amplitude, coherent scattered energy signals and resolve their incoming direction. We deterministically map scattering heterogeneity locations from the core-mantle boundary to the surface. We use an extensive dataset with sensitivity to a large volume of the mantle and a location method allowing us to resolve and map more heterogeneities than have previously been possible, representing a significant increase in our understanding of small-scale structure within the mantle. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of scattering heterogeneities varies both radially and laterally. Scattering is most abundant in the uppermost and lowermost mantle, and a minimum in the mid-mantle, resembling the radial distribution of tomographically derived whole-mantle velocity heterogeneity. We investigate the spatial correlation of scattering heterogeneities with large-scale tomographic velocities, lateral velocity gradients, the locations of deep-seated hotspots and subducted slabs. In the lowermost 1500 km of the mantle, small-scale heterogeneities correlate with regions of low seismic velocity, high lateral seismic gradient, and proximity to hotspots. In the upper 1000 km of the mantle there is no significant correlation between scattering heterogeneity location and subducted slabs. Between 600 and 900 km depth, scattering heterogeneities are more common in the regions most remote from slabs, and close to hotspots. Scattering heterogeneities show an affinity for regions close to slabs within the upper 200 km of the

  4. The Melting Behavior and Thermal Stability of Green Poly(L-lactic acid) with N, N, N, N'-Tetra(benzoyl) Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid Dihydrazide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Y.; Qiang Xu, Q.; Ren, L.; Zhao, L.

    2015-01-01

    The thermal properties of green poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) with N, N, N, N'-tetra(benzoyl) ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid dihydrazide (NA) at different conditions were investigated. The melting behavior of PLLA/NA sample after isothermal crystallization at 100 degree C showed that the low-temperature melting peak shifted to high temperature with increasing of crystallization time. However, the high-temperature melting peak did not show any change. Meantime, the melting enthalpy of cold crystallization was higher than that of hot crystallization, and the difference between cold crystallization and hot crystallization increased from 0.31 J/g to 0.89 J/g with increasing of crystallization time. Heating or cooling rate affected the melting behavior of PLLA, the low-temperature and high-temperature melting peak shifted to low temperature with increasing of rate, and the ratio of melting peak area between low-temperature melting peak and high-temperature melting peak decreased. Thermal stability of PLLA/NA indicated that PLLA/NA only exhibited one decomposition stage as decomposition of PLLA. (author)

  5. Nitrogen solubility in the deep mantle and the origin of Earth's primordial nitrogen budget

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshioka, Takahiro; Wiedenbeck, Michael; Shcheka, Svyatoslav; Keppler, Hans

    2018-04-01

    The solubility of nitrogen in the major minerals of the Earth's transition zone and lower mantle (wadsleyite, ringwoodite, bridgmanite, and Ca-silicate perovskite) coexisting with a reduced, nitrogen-rich fluid phase was measured. Experiments were carried out in multi-anvil presses at 14 to 24 GPa and 1100 to 1800 °C close to the Fe-FeO buffer. Starting materials were enriched in 15N and the nitrogen concentrations in run products were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Observed nitrogen (15N) solubilities in wadsleyite and ringwoodite typically range from 10 to 250 μg/g and strongly increase with temperature. Nitrogen solubility in bridgmanite is about 20 μg/g, while Ca-silicate perovskite incorporates about 30 μg/g under comparable conditions. Partition coefficients of nitrogen derived from coexisting phases are DNwadsleyite/olivine = 5.1 ± 2.1, DNringwoodite/wadsleyite = 0.49 ± 0.29, and DNbridgmanite/ringwoodite = 0.24 (+ 0.30 / - 0.19). Nitrogen solubility in the solid, iron-rich metal phase coexisting with the silicates was also measured and reached a maximum of nearly 1 wt.% 15N at 23 GPa and 1400 °C. These data yield a partition coefficient of nitrogen between iron metal and bridgmanite of DNmetal/bridgmanite ∼ 98, implying that in a lower mantle containing about 1% of iron metal, about half of the nitrogen still resides in the silicates. The high nitrogen solubility in wadsleyite and ringwoodite may be responsible for the low nitrogen concentrations often observed in ultradeep diamonds from the transition zone. Overall, the solubility data suggest that the transition zone and the lower mantle have the capacity to store at least 33 times the mass of nitrogen presently residing in the atmosphere. By combining the nitrogen solubility data in minerals with data on nitrogen solubility in silicate melts, mineral/melt partition coefficients of nitrogen can be estimated, from which the behavior of nitrogen during magma ocean crystallization can

  6. How to make a craton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, C.; Chin, E. J.; Erdman, M.; Gaschnig, R. M.; Lederer, G. W.; Savage, P. S.; Zhong, S.; Zincone, S.

    2013-12-01

    Most Archean cratons are underlain by long-lived 200-300 km thick thermal boundary layers, significantly thicker than oceanic boundary layers, which eventually subduct. The longevity of cratons is perplexing because cold thermal boundary layers should be gravitationally unstable or should thermally erode with time. However, it is agreed that thermal contraction of the cratonic root is compensated by intrinsic compositional buoyancy due to extreme melt depletion. This melt depletion is also thought to have dehydrated the peridotitic residue, strengthening the cratonic mantle, making it resistant to thermo-mechanical erosion. Exactly how cratonic mantle arrives at this chemically buoyant and dehydrated state is unknown. Possible scenarios include formation by melting within a large plume head, accretion of oceanic lithosphere, and accretion of sub-arc mantle. The high degrees of melting would seem to imply formation in hot plume heads, but low Al and heavy rare earth element contents suggest formation in the spinel stability field, implying formation at shallower depths than their current equilibration pressures. We present a new thermobarometer designed to estimate the average melting pressures and temperatures of residual peridotites using whole rock major element compositions. We find that the average melting pressures and temperatures of cratonic peridotites range between 3-4 GPa and 1600 °C. If cratonic peridotites melted via adiabatic decompression, these average pressures represent maximum bounds on the final pressures of melt extraction. Currently, cratonic peridotites derive from 4-7 GPa, implying that the building blocks of peridotites experienced an increase of 1-3 GPa, equivalent to 30-90 km of overburden. Our results thus imply that cratonic mantle most likely formed by tectonic thickening of oceanic or arc lithospheres. But because both arc and oceanic lithospheres might be expected to be wet due to hydrous flux melting and serpentinization

  7. Microwave melt and offgas analysis results from a Ferro Corporation reg-sign glass frit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phillips, J.A.; Hoffman, C.R.; Knutson, P.T.

    1995-03-01

    In support of the Residue Treatment Technology (RTT) Microwave Solidification project, Waste Projects and Surface Water personnel conducted a series of experiments to determine the feasibility of encapsulating a surrogate sludge waste using the microwave melter. The surrogate waste was prepared by RTT and melted with five varying compositions of low melting glass frit supplied by the Ferro Corporation. Samples were melted using a 50% waste/50% glass frit and a 47.5% waste/47.5% glass frit/5% carbon powder. This was done to evaluate the effectiveness of carbon at reducing a sulfate-based surface scale which has been observed in previous experiments and in full-scale testing. These vitrified samples were subsequently submitted to Environmental Technology for toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) testing. Two of the five frits tested in this experiment merit further evaluation as raw materials for the microwave melter. Ferro frit 3110 with and without carbon powder produced a crystalline product which passed TCLP testing. The quality of the melt product could be improved by increasing the melting temperature from 900 degrees C to approximately 1150-1200 degrees C. Ferro frit 3249 produced the optimal quality of glass based on visual observations, but failed TCLP testing for silver when melted without carbon powder. This frit requires a slightly higher melting temperature (≥ 1200 degrees C) compared to frit 3110 and produces a superior product. In conjunction with this work, Surface Water personnel conducted offgas analyses using a Thermal Desorption Mass Spectrometer (TDMS) on selected formulations. The offgas analyses identified and quantified water vapor (H 2 O), oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon oxides (CO and CO 2 ), sulfur (S) and sulfur oxides (SO and SO 2 ), and nitrogen (N 2 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO and NO 2 ) that volatilized during glass formation

  8. Quaternary basaltic volcanism in the Payenia volcanic province, Argentina

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søager, Nina

    primitive basalts and trachybasalts but also more evolved samples from the retroarc region and the larger volcanoes Payún Matrú and Payún Liso are presented. The samples cover a broad range of compositions from intraplate lavas similar to ocean island basalts to arc andesites. A common feature found...... are isotopically similar to the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone arc rocks and their mantle source possibly resembled the source of South Atlantic N-MORB prior to addition of fluids and melts from the subduction channel. However, it must have been more enriched than the estimates of depleted upper mantle from...... the lithosphere is thinnest and possibly in areas of elevated mantle temperatures. The pyroxenite melts formed at deeper levels react with the surrounding peridotite and thereby changes composition leading to eruption of melts which experienced variable degrees of melt-peridotite interaction. This can presumably...

  9. Barium isotope geochemistry of subduction-zone magmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, H.; Nan, X.; Huang, J.; Wörner, G.; Huang, F.

    2017-12-01

    Subduction zones are crucial tectonic setting to study material exchange between crust and mantle, mantle partial melting with fluid addition, and formation of ore-deposits1-3. The geochemical characteristics of arc lavas from subduction zones are different from magmas erupted at mid-ocean ridges4, because there are addition of fluids/melts from subducted AOC and its overlying sediments into their source regions in the sub-arc mantle4. Ba is highly incompatible during mantle melting5, and it is enriched in crust (456 ppm)6 relative to the mantle (7.0 ppm)7. The subducted sediments are also enriched in Ba (776 ppm of GLOSS)8. Moreover, because Ba is fluid soluble during subduction, it has been used to track contributions of subduction-related fluids to arc magmas9 or recycled sediments to the mantle10-11. To study the Ba isotope fractionation behavior during subduction process, we analyzed well-characterized, chemically-diverse arc lavas from Central American, Kamchatka, Central-Eastern Aleutian, and Southern Lesser Antilles. The δ137/134Ba of Central American arc lavas range from -0.13 to 0.24‰, and have larger variation than the arc samples from other locations. Except one sample from Central-Eastern Aleutian arc with obviously heavy δ137/134Ba values (0.27‰), all other samples from Kamchatka, Central-Eastern Aleutian, Southern Lesser Antilles arcs are within the range of OIB. The δ137/134Ba is not correlated with the distance to trench, partial melting degrees (Mg#), or subducting slab-derived components. The samples enriched with heavy Ba isotopes have low Ba contents, indicating that Ba isotopes can be fractionated at the beginning of dehydration process with small amount of Ba releasing to the mantle wedge. With the dehydration degree increasing, more Ba of the subducted slab can be added to the source of arc lavas, likely homogenizing the Ba isotope signatures. 1. Rudnick, R., 1995 Nature; 2. Tatsumi, Y. & Kogiso, T., 2003; 3. Sun, W., et al., 2015 Ore

  10. Effects of melt-temperature on limiting current density in Al electrodeposition and morphology of Al electrodeposits obtained from ambient temperature type molten salt; Joongata yoyuen kara no denki aluminium mekki no genkai denryu mitsudo oyobi denseki keitai ni oyobosu mekki ekion no eikyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimizu, T.; Tatano, M.; Uchida, Y. [Nisshin Steel Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

    1996-03-31

    Some of more important electrolytic solutions for Al electrodeposition are organic solvents, high-temperature type molten salts and low-temperature type molten salts having a melting point of 30{degree}C or lower, such as ethylmethylimidazolium chloride (EMIC). This study uses a molten salt of AlCl3-EMIC as the low-temperature type solution for high-speed electrodeposition. Discussed herein are the effects of melt temperature on limiting current density in Al electrodeposition and Al electrodeposit morphology. Limiting current density increases as melt temperature increases at any AlCl3 concentration used in this study. The AlCl3 concentration that gives the maximum limiting current density shifts from 64 to 67mol% at a melt temperature of 120{degree}C. A dense, smooth Al electrodeposited film results at a melt temperature of 100{degree}C or lower, but the electrodeposited grains become coarser as melt temperature increases. Melt temperature can be increased to 140{degree}C to secure a smooth electrodeposited film, showing possibility of 2 times faster electrodeposition than the conventional one. 21 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

  11. Using bathymetry and reflective seismic profiles to tests a suspected link between melt flux and cumulative fault heave at mid-ocean ridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haughton, G.; Murton, B. J.; Le Bas, T.; Henstock, T.

    2017-12-01

    The interplay between magma supply and spreading rate is believed to play a major role in determining large scale seafloor morphology. Here we use bathymetry to test this relationship in areas with similar spreading rates and differing magma supplies. By using open source bathymetry data we have developed a repeatable, automated method for categorising seafloor cumulative fault heave and then attempt to identify the controlling variables. We measure the total apparent fault heave along axis and off-axis at 29°N and 60°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge then compare this to proxies for deformation and magma supply. Two approaches are adopted for identifying faults: one using bathymetry and the other spreading-parallel seismic reflection data. The first re-examines the orthogonally spreading Broken Spur segment (26°N) spreading at 23 mm yr-1 (full rate). The other examines the Reykjanes Ridge (60°N) spreading obliquely at 21 mm yr-1 (full rate), which may be influenced by the Icelandic hotspot. Each have contrasting residual depth and structure, with the former being typical of slow spreading ridges, with marked axial valleys, whereas the latter is more typical of fast spreading ridge morphology, with smooth axial rise. We find that high total heave (indicating high tectonic spreading) on the Broken Spur segment does not correlate with high mantle Bouguer anomalies (indicating thin crust and low melt flux). From this we hypothesise that total heave on the large scale at the Broken Spur segment is not controlled by crustal thickness or melt supply. At the Raykjanes Ridge, V-shaped ridges have thicker crust (measured seismically) which converge south of Iceland. These are thought to reflect transient (every 4-6 Myrs) pulses of hot mantle radiating away from the Iceland plume. We find ridge-symmetrical variation in fault heave but with a lower frequency (6-8 Myrs) and longer wavelength (3-7 Myrs) than the V-shaped ridges. Our analysis shows that plume pulses do not

  12. Mantle superplumes induce geomagnetic superchrons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter eOlson

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available We use polarity reversal systematics from numerical dynamos to quantify the hypothesis that the modulation of geomagnetic reversal frequency, including geomagnetic superchrons, results from changes in core heat flux related to growth and collapse of lower mantle superplumes. We parameterize the reversal frequency sensitivity from numerical dynamos in terms of average core heat flux normalized by the difference between the present-day core heat flux and the core heat flux at geomagnetic superchron onset. A low-order polynomial fit to the 0-300 Ma Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale (GPTS reveals that a decrease in core heat flux relative to present-day of approximately 30% can account for the Cretaceous Normal Polarity and Kiaman Reverse Polarity Superchrons, whereas the hyper-reversing periods in the Jurassic require a core heat flux equal to or higher than present-day. Possible links between GPTS transitions, large igneous provinces (LIPs, and the two lower mantle superplumes are explored. Lower mantle superplume growth and collapse induce GPTS transitions by increasing and decreasing core heat flux, respectively. Age clusters of major LIPs postdate transitions from hyper-reversing to superchron geodynamo states by 30-60 Myr, suggesting that superchron onset may be contemporaneous with LIP-forming instabilities produced during collapses of lower mantle superplumes.

  13. Contribution of slab melting to magmatism at the active rifts zone in the middle of the Izu-Bonin arc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirai, Y.; Okamura, S.; Sakamoto, I.; Shinjo, R.; Wada, K.; Yoshida, T.

    2016-12-01

    The active rifts zone lies just behind the Quaternary volcanic front in the middle of the Izu-Bonin arc. Volcanism at the active rifts zone has been active since ca. 2 Ma, and late Quaternary basaltic lavas (< 0.1 Ma) and hydrothermal activity occur along the central axis of the rifts (Taylor, 1992; Ishizuka et al., 2003). In this paper we present new Sr, Nd, and Hf isotope and trace element data for the basalts erupted in the active rifts zone, including the Aogashima, Myojin and Sumisu rifts. Two geochemical groups can be identified within the active rift basalts: High-Zr basalts (HZB) and Low-Zr basalts (LZB). In the case of the Sumisu rift, the HZB exhibits higher in K2O, Na2O, Y, Zr and Ni, and also has higher Ce/Yb and Zr/Y, lower Ba/Th than the LZB. Depletion of Zr-Hf in the N-MORB spidergram characterizes the LZB from the Aogashima, Myojin and Sumisu rifts. The 176Hf/177Hf ratios are slightly lower in the HZB than in the LZB, decoupling of 176Hf/177Hf ratios and 143Nd/144Nd ratios. Estimated primary magma compositions suggest that primary magma segregation for the HZB occurred at depths less than 70 km ( 2 GPa), whereas the LZB more than 70 km (2 3 GPa). ODP Leg126 site 788, 790, and 791 reached the basaltic basement of the Sumisu rift (Gill et al., 1992). The geochemical data and stratigraphic relations of the basement indicate that the HZB is younger than the LZB. Geochemical modelling demonstrates that slab-derived melt mixed with mantle wedge produces the observed isotopic and trace elemental characteristics. The LZB volcanism at the early stage of the back-arc rifting is best explained by a partial melting of subducted slab saturated with trace quantities of zircon under low-temperature conditions in the mantle wedge. On the other hand, the HZB requires a partial melt of subducted slab accompanied by full dissolution of zircon under high-temperature conditions in the mantle wedge, which could have been caused by hot asthenospheric injection during the

  14. Polymorphic Nature of Iron and Degree of Lattice Preferred Orientation Beneath the Earth's Inner Core Boundary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattesini, Maurizio; Belonoshko, Anatoly B.; Tkalčić, Hrvoje

    2018-01-01

    Deciphering the polymorphic nature and the degree of iron lattice-preferred orientation in the Earth's inner core holds a key to understanding the present status and evolution of the inner core. A multiphase lattice-preferred orientation pattern is obtained for the top 350 km of the inner core by means of the ab initio based Candy Wrapper Velocity Model coupled to a Monte Carlo phase discrimination scheme. The achieved geographic distribution of lattice alignment is characterized by two regions of freezing, namely within South America and the Western Central Pacific, that exhibit an uncommon high degree of lattice orientation. In contrast, widespread regions of melting of relatively weak lattice ordering permeate the rest of the inner core. The obtained multiphase lattice-preferred orientation pattern is in line with mantle-constrained geodynamo simulations and allows to setup an ad hoc mineral physics scenario for the complex Earth's inner core. It is found that the cubic phase of iron is the dominating iron polymorph in the outermost part of the inner core.

  15. Melt inclusion evidence for a volatile-enriched (H2O, Cl, B) component in parental magmas of Gorgona Island komatiites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamenetsky, V.; Sobolev, A.; McDonough, W.

    2003-04-01

    Late Cretaceous komatiites of Gorgona Island are unambiguous samples of ultra-mafic melts related to a hot and possibly 'wet' mantle plume. Despite significant efforts in studying komatiites, their volatile abundances remain largely unknown because of significant alteration of rocks and lack of fresh glasses. This work presents major, trace and volatile element data for 22 partially homogenised (at 1275oC and 1 bar pressure) melt inclusions in olivine (Fo 90.5-91.5) from a Gorgona Isl. komatiite (# Gor 94-3). Major element compositions (except FeO which is notably lower by up to 5 wt% as a result of post-entrapment re-equilibration) and most lithophile trace elements of melt inclusions are indistinguishable from the whole rock komatiites. With the exception of three inclusions that have low Na, H2O, Cl, F and S (likely compromised and degassed during heating) most compositions are characterised by relatively constant and high volatile abundances (H2O 0.4-0.8 wt%, Cl 0.02-0.03 wt%, B 0.8-1.4 ppm). These are interpreted as representative of original volatiles in parental melts because they correspond to the internal volatile pressure in the closed inclusions significantly exceeding 1 bar pressure of heating experiment. Although H2O is strongly enriched (PM-normalised H2O/Ce 10-17) its concentrations correlate well with many elements (e.g. Yb, Er, Y, Ti, Sr, Be). Other positive anomalies on the overall depleted (La/Sm 0.26-0.33) PM normalized compositional spectra of melt inclusions are shown by B (B/K 2.4-5.4) and Cl (Cl/K 11-16). Compositions of melt inclusions, when corrected for Fe loss and recalculated in equilibrium with host olivine, have high MgO (15.4-16.4 wt%; Mg# of 74) and substantial H2O (0.4-0.6 wt%) contents. This together with the data on other 'enriched' elements argues for the presence of previously unknown volatile-enriched component in the parental melts of Gorgona Isl. komatiites. We discuss contamination of magmas by altered oceanic crust in the

  16. Progress in melt-texturing of YBCO superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salama, K.; Lee, D.F.; Selvamanickam, V.

    1993-01-01

    Since the discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS), tremendous efforts have been expanded toward the improvement of these materials. Due to the weak-link problem associated with grain boundaries, sintered bulk HTS possess a transport critical current density (J c ) on the order of 10 2 -10 3 A/cm 2 at 77 K. While these sintered superconductors may be utilized in low current applications, novel processing methods have to be developed to obtain HTS that can sustain high currents. Melt-texturing of HTS was found to result in a high degree of grain orientation, and is presently the most prominent processing method used to manufacture bulk YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (123) with superior transport and magnetic properties. In this review paper, various melt-texturing methods will be discussed, and the variation in J c with processing will be presented. (orig.)

  17. Probing Mantle Heterogeneity Across Spatial Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hariharan, A.; Moulik, P.; Lekic, V.

    2017-12-01

    Inferences of mantle heterogeneity in terms of temperature, composition, grain size, melt and crystal structure may vary across local, regional and global scales. Probing these scale-dependent effects require quantitative comparisons and reconciliation of tomographic models that vary in their regional scope, parameterization, regularization and observational constraints. While a range of techniques like radial correlation functions and spherical harmonic analyses have revealed global features like the dominance of long-wavelength variations in mantle heterogeneity, they have limited applicability for specific regions of interest like subduction zones and continental cratons. Moreover, issues like discrepant 1-D reference Earth models and related baseline corrections have impeded the reconciliation of heterogeneity between various regional and global models. We implement a new wavelet-based approach that allows for structure to be filtered simultaneously in both the spectral and spatial domain, allowing us to characterize heterogeneity on a range of scales and in different geographical regions. Our algorithm extends a recent method that expanded lateral variations into the wavelet domain constructed on a cubed sphere. The isolation of reference velocities in the wavelet scaling function facilitates comparisons between models constructed with arbitrary 1-D reference Earth models. The wavelet transformation allows us to quantify the scale-dependent consistency between tomographic models in a region of interest and investigate the fits to data afforded by heterogeneity at various dominant wavelengths. We find substantial and spatially varying differences in the spectrum of heterogeneity between two representative global Vp models constructed using different data and methodologies. Applying the orthonormality of the wavelet expansion, we isolate detailed variations in velocity from models and evaluate additional fits to data afforded by adding such complexities to long

  18. Complex Anisotropic Structure of the Mantle Wedge Beneath Kamchatka Volcanoes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, V.; Park, J.; Gordeev, E.; Droznin, D.

    2002-12-01

    A wedge of mantle material above the subducting lithospheric plate at a convergent margin is among the most dynamic environments of the Earth's interior. Deformation and transport of solid and volatile phases within this region control the fundamental process of elemental exchange between the surficial layers and the interior of the planet. A helpful property in the study of material deformation and transport within the upper mantle is seismic anisotropy, which may reflect both microscopic effects of preferentialy aligned crystals of olivine and orthopyroxene and macroscopic effects of systematic cracks, melt lenses, layering etc. Through the mapping of anisotropic properties within the mantle wedge we can establish patterns of deformation. Volatile content affects olivine alignment, so regions of anomalous volatile content may be evident. Indicators of seismic anisotropy commonly employed in upper mantle studies include shear wave birefringence and mode-conversion between compressional and shear body waves. When combined together, these techniques offer complementary constraints on the location and intensity of anisotropic properties. The eastern coast of southern Kamchatka overlies a vigorous convergent margin where the Pacific plate descends at a rate of almost 80 mm/yr towards the northwest. We extracted seismic anisotropy indicators from two data sets sensitive to the anisotropic properties of the uppermost mantle. Firstly, we evaluated teleseismic receiver functions for a number of sites, and found ample evidence for anisotropicaly-influenced P-to-S mode conversion. Secondly, we measured splitting in S waves of earthquakes with sources within the downgoing slab. The first set of observations provides constraints on the depth ranges where strong changes in anisotropic properties take place. The local splitting data provides constraints on the cumulative strength of anisotropic properties along specific pathways through the mantle wedge and possibly parts of

  19. Volatile-rich komatiitic and picritic melt inclusions in Cr-spinel beach sand from Gorgona Island, Colombia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, K.; Shimizu, N.; Suzuki, K.; Tatsumi, Y.; Komiya, T.; Maruyama, S.

    2007-12-01

    Volatile content of komatiite is a key to constrain thermal evolution of the deep Earth. We report volatile contents with major and trace element compositions of melt inclusions (MIs) in chromian spinel (Cr-spinel) from beach sands of Gorgona Island, Colombia. Gorgona Island is ~90 Ma volcanic island, where picrites and the world-youngest komatiites occur. As Cr-spinel is dense and rigid oxide mineral that crystallizes only at early stages of crystallization, it is considered to be a superior container for retaining primitive melt, even including volatiles. Volatile (H2O, CO2, S, F and Cl) and trace element (K2O, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Dy, Yb) compositions of ~80 MIs were analyzed by SIMS (Cameca-1280 and 3f, respectively) at WHOI. MIs in the Cr-spinel from Gorgona Is. are classified into three types by their host Cr-spinel compositions such as low-Ti (P-type), high-Ti with high-Cr# (BK-type) and high-Ti with low-Cr# (K-type). MIs of P-type, BK-type and K-type are mostly in compositional ranges of picrite, high TiO2 komatiite (some basalt) and low TiO2 komatiite in Gorgona Island, respectively. Water content of P-type MIs is variable, ranging from 0.05 to 0.9 wt%, whereas those of BK and K-type MIs are limited (500 ppm) do not contain (shrinkage) bubbles and many of them are low in K2O. H2O/K2O, CO2/K2O, S/K2O and F/K2O ratios are positively correlated with Y/Sr ratios, indicating degassing trends of melt at crystallization, magma mixing and/or assimilation. Undegassed H2O/K2O, CO2/K2O, S/K2O and F/K2O ratios of komatiitic (picritic) melt are estimated to be ~10 (~40), ~80 (n.d.), ~7(~3) and ~1(~0.5), respectively, which are much higher than those estimated for the depleted source mantle of the MORB [1.6, 0.7, 1.6 and 0.2, respectively; Salters, V. & Stracke, A. (2004), Composition of the depleted mantle. Geochem. Geophys. Geosys. 5 (2003GC000597)]. The results suggest that Gorgona komatiite and picrite magmas were derived from volatile-rich sources. CO2

  20. Tertiary or Mesozoic komatiites from Gorgona Island, Colombia: Field relations and geochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echeverría, Lina M.

    1980-08-01

    An exceptional occurrence of ultramafic lavas within the volcanic member of the Mesozoic (or younger) Gorgona Igneous Complex represents the first known komatiites of post-Precambrian age. Gorgona komatiites are virtually unaltered and display typical spinifex textures, with 7 10 cm long plates of olivine (Fo 88 to 91) surrounded by acicular aluminous augite, subordinate plagioclase (An 56 to 78), basaltic glass, and two spinel phases. The MgO contents of the komatiites range from 15 to 22 wt.%. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions are indicative of depletion of incompatible elements in the mantle source region, as is the case for “normal” mid-ocean ridge basalts. The komatiites are low in total REE abundances and extremely depleted in LREE. They represent primary melts generated by high degree of partial melting of the mantle. Eruption temperatures are estimated at 1,450° to 1,500° C.

  1. What olivine and clinopyroxene mineral chemistry and melt inclusion study can tell us about magmatic processes in a post-collisional setting. Examples from the Miocene-Quaternary East Carpathian volcanic chain, Romania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seghedi, Ioan; Mason, Paul R. D.

    2015-04-01

    clinopyroxene to estimate the source composition. The results show extremely diverse olivine compositions (Fo90-65) in single rocks indicative of extensive mixing and back-mixing processes during fractionation. The most forsteritic olivines (Fo80-90) contain either Al2O3 rich spinels (30-40%), with low Cr/(Cr+Al) ratio (0.2-0.4), or low Al2O3 spinels (30-40%), but with high Cr/(Cr+Al) ratio (0.6-0.8). Trace element concentrations of melt inclusions, using laser-ablation technique, in the most forsteritic olivines give a snapshot of early and hence primitive magma chemistry. Our results suggest that whole rocks geochemistry does not define exactly the source region as being an average of various melt components and further fractionation processes. In the East Carpathians there are two distinct mantle components: variably subduction-modified lithospheric mantle and slightly modified asthenosphere which support slab breakoff (CGNH) and slab-pull and tearing models (SH). The study offers an inside understanding on source melting during post-collisional processes suggesting an anomalous mantle, potentially a subduction-modified source due to asthenospheric upwelling. Analytical work was supported by ISES grants of Netherlands Research Center for Integrated Solid Earth Science, University of Utrecht. A grant of the Ministry of National Education, CNCS - UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0137 is also acknowledged.

  2. Application of supercomputers to 3-D mantle convection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumgardner, J.R.

    1986-01-01

    Current generation vector machines are providing for the first time the computing power needed to treat planetary mantle convection in a fully three-dimensional fashion. A numerical technique known as multigrid has been implemented in spherical geometry using a hierarchy of meshes constructed from the regular icosahedron to yield a highly efficient three-dimensional compressible Eulerian finite element hydrodynamics formulation. The paper describes the numerical method and presents convection solutions for the mantles of both the earth and the Moon. In the case of the Earth, the convection pattern is characterized by upwelling in narrow circular plumes originating at the core-mantle boundary and by downwelling in sheets or slabs derived from the cold upper boundary layer. The preferred number of plumes appears to be on the order of six or seven. For the Moon, the numerical results indicate that development of a predominately L = 2 pattern in later lunar history is a plausible explanation for the present large second-degree non-hydrostatic component in the lunar figure

  3. Recycling of Oceanic Lithosphere: Water, fO2 and Fe-isotope Constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bizmis, M.; Peslier, A. H.; McCammon, C. A.; Keshav, S.; Williams, H. M.

    2014-01-01

    Spinel peridotite and garnet pyroxenite xenoliths from Hawaii provide important clues about the composition of the oceanic lithosphere, and can be used to assess its contribution to mantle heterogeneity upon recycling. The peridotites have lower bulk H2O (approximately 70-114 ppm) than the MORB source, qualitatively consistent with melt depletion. The garnet pyroxenites (high pressure cumulates) have higher H2O (200-460 ppm, up to 550 ppm accounting for phlogopite) and low H2O/Ce ratios (less than 100). The peridotites have relatively light Fe-isotopes (delta Fe -57 = -0.34 to 0.13) that decrease with increasing depletion, while the pyroxenites are significantly heavier (delta Fe-57 up to 0.3). The observed xenolith, as well as MORB and OIB total Fe-isotope variability is larger that can be explained by existing melting models. The high H2O and low H2O/Ce ratios of pyroxenites are similar to estimates of EM-type OIB sources, while their heavy delta Fe-57 are similar to some Society and Cook-Austral basalts. Therefore, recycling of mineralogically enriched oceanic lithosphere (i.e. pyroxenites) may contribute to OIB sources and mantle heterogeneity. The Fe(3+)/Sigma? systematics of these xenoliths also suggest that there might be lateral redox gradients within the lithosphere, between juxtaposed oxidized spinel peridotites (deltaFMQ = -0.7 to 1.6, at 15 kb) and more reduced pyroxenites (deltaFMQ = -2 to -0.4, at 20-25kb). Such mineralogically and compositionally imposed fO2 gradients may generate local redox melting due to changes in fluid speciation (e.g. reduced fluids from pyroxenite encountering more oxidized peridotite). Formation of such incipient, small degree melts could further contribute to metasomatic features seen in peridotites, mantle heterogeneity, as well as the low velocity and high electrical conductivity structures near the base of the lithosphere and upper mantle.

  4. Melting properties and Lintnerisation of potato starch with different degrees of phosphorylation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wischmann, Bente; Adler-Nissen, Jens

    2002-01-01

    Lintner dextrins were prepared from size fractionated potato starch granules from two potato varieties (90BKG22 and Lady Rosetta) that contain high or low natural content of esterified phosphate, respectively. The time course of hydrolysis showed the typical two-phase kinetics, with a maximal...... degree of hydrolysis of between 74% and 81% after 30 days of hydrolysis, except for the fraction of smallest granules of the low phosphorylated variety (low P), which was hydrolysed to 98%. The relative amount of retained glucose-6-P in the Lintner dextrins was 18.6% for the low P variety and 46...... peak became low and broad during the time course of hydrolysis, with rise in enthalpy change, indicating a strong dependency on the amorphous region of the granules, After annealing the same fractions showed the typical raise in gelatinisation temperature and narrowing of gelatinisation peak...

  5. Mantle compositions below petit-spot volcanoes of the NW Pacific Plate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirano, N.

    2017-12-01

    Monogenetic petit-spot volcanoes of a few kilometers in diameter and geothermal gradient than the conventional GDH1 model; Machida et al., 2015; Yamamoto et al., 2014). The fact that the majority of the petit-spot lava samples do not contain olivine phenocrysts and have differentiated compositions (45-52 wt% SiO2, Mg# values of 50-65) indicates that these magmas have undergone differentiation in a magma chamber. However, geobarometry indicates that the deepest-sourced associated peridotitic xenoliths were derived from a depth of 42 km (Yamamoto et al., 2014). This indicates that melt fractionation must have occurred at depths greater than the middle lithosphere, a situation where the depth of fractionation could correlate with the rotation of the σ3 stress axis from the extensionally lower to the compressional upper part of the lithosphere. This rotation is the result of concave flexure prior to the outer rise of the subduction zone (Valentine & Hirano, 2010). Pilet et al. (2016) and Yamamoto et al. (2009) reported that these xenoliths were derived from a metasomatized region of the mantle, with this region metasomatized by prior melts of petit-spot magmas in the province. The strategic analysis of xenocrystic olivines from several petit-spot volcanoes also indicates that more depleted compositions are located in areas more proximal to the trench. This indicates that the lithospheric mantle in this region must have been significantly metasomatized prior to the onset of trench subduction.

  6. Decarbonation and carbonation processes in the slab and mantle wedge - insights from thermomechanical modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, C. M.; Gorczyk, W.; Connolly, J. A.; Gerya, T.; Hobbs, B. E.; Ord, A.

    2013-12-01

    understanding the fate of carbonates beyond the subarc and consequent subduction into the deeper mantle within a fully coupled model framework. A case study where CO2 fluids are intimately connected to subduction and metasomatism of the mantle is in the Western Mediterranean in Italy. There, carbonate melts metasomatized the asthenosphere leading to a seismic low velocity zone associated with large scale mantle degassing in the region of approximately 70 Mt/year of CO2 [1]. This natural laboratory provides us with a present day example to help constrain the benchmarking process in order to refine our numerical techniques. [1] Frezzotti, Peccerillo, & Panza, 2009. Chemical Geology, 262(1-2), 108-120. doi: DOI 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.02.015

  7. Early planetesimal melting from an age of 4.5662 Gyr for differentiated meteorites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baker, J.; Bizzarro, Martin; Wittig, N.

    2005-01-01

    for these meteorites, however, are typically younger than age constraints for planetesimal differentiation. Such young ages indicate that the energy required to melt their parent bodies could not have come from the most likely heat source-radioactive decay of short-lived nuclides (Al and Fe) injected from a nearby...... decay could have triggered planetesimal melting. Small Mg excesses in bulk angrite samples confirm that Al decay contributed to the melting of their parent body. These results indicate that the accretion of differentiated planetesimals pre-dated that of undifferentiated planetesimals, and reveals......Long- and short-lived radioactive isotopes and their daughter products in meteorites are chronometers that can test models for Solar System formation. Differentiated meteorites come from parent bodies that were once molten and separated into metal cores and silicate mantles. Mineral ages...

  8. Sulfur in zircons: A new window into melt chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, H.; Bell, E. A.; Boehnke, P.; Barboni, M.; Harrison, T. M.

    2017-12-01

    The abundance and isotopic composition of sulfur are important tools for exploring the photochemistry of the atmosphere, the thermal history of mantle and igneous rocks, and ancient metabolic processes on the early Earth. Because the oldest terrestrial samples are zircons, we developed a new in-situ procedure to analyze the sulfur content of zircons using the CAMECA ims 1290 at UCLA. We analyzed zircons from three metaluminous/I-type granites (reduced and oxidized Peninsular range and Elba), which exhibit low sulfur abundance with the average of 0.5ppm, and one peraluminous/S-type zircon (Strathbogie Range), which shows an elevated sulfur level with the average of 1.5ppm. Additionally, we found that sulfur content ranges between 0.4 and 2.3 ppm in young volcanic zircons (St. Lucia). Our analyses of zircons from the Jack Hills, Western Australia, whose ages range between 3.4 and 4.1 Ga, show a variety of sulfur contents. Three out of the ten zircons are consistent with the sulfur contents of S-type zircons; the rest have low sulfur contents, which are similar to those of I-type zircons. The high sulfur content in some of these Jack Hills zircons can be interpreted as indicating their origin in either a S-type granite or a volcanic reservoir. We favor the former interpretation since the Ti-in-zircon temperatures of our Jack Hills zircons is lower than those of volcanic zircons. Future work will be undertaken to develop a systematic understanding of the relationship between melt volatile content, melt chemistry, and zircon sulfur content.

  9. A Novel Inorganic Low Melting Electrolyte for Secondary-Aluminum-Nickel Sulfide Batteries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjuler, H.A.; Winbrush, S. von; Berg, Rolf W.

    1989-01-01

    ±10% from their combination expectations. The low melting electrolyte is employed in the rechargeable batterysystem Al/electrolyte/Ni3S2 at 100°C. The open-circuit voltage of this system is from 0.82 to 1.0V. Dendrite-free aluminumdeposits are obtained. The cycling behavior of the battery system...

  10. Upper-mantle water stratification inferred from observations of the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masuti, Sagar; Barbot, Sylvain D; Karato, Shun-Ichiro; Feng, Lujia; Banerjee, Paramesh

    2016-10-20

    Water, the most abundant volatile in Earth's interior, preserves the young surface of our planet by catalysing mantle convection, lubricating plate tectonics and feeding arc volcanism. Since planetary accretion, water has been exchanged between the hydrosphere and the geosphere, but its depth distribution in the mantle remains elusive. Water drastically reduces the strength of olivine and this effect can be exploited to estimate the water content of olivine from the mechanical response of the asthenosphere to stress perturbations such as the ones following large earthquakes. Here, we exploit the sensitivity to water of the strength of olivine, the weakest and most abundant mineral in the upper mantle, and observations of the exceptionally large (moment magnitude 8.6) 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake to constrain the stratification of water content in the upper mantle. Taking into account a wide range of temperature conditions and the transient creep of olivine, we explain the transient deformation in the aftermath of the earthquake that was recorded by continuous geodetic stations along Sumatra as the result of water- and stress-activated creep of olivine. This implies a minimum water content of about 0.01 per cent by weight-or 1,600 H atoms per million Si atoms-in the asthenosphere (the part of the upper mantle below the lithosphere). The earthquake ruptured conjugate faults down to great depths, compatible with dry olivine in the oceanic lithosphere. We attribute the steep rheological contrast to dehydration across the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, presumably by buoyant melt migration to form the oceanic crust.

  11. Fragmentation of low-melting metals by collapsing steam bubbles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benz, R.

    1979-08-01

    When a hot melt meets a vaporable liquid of lower temperature, explosive vaporisation of the cooler liquid may be the result. This is called a steam explosion if a substantial amount of thermal energy is converted into mechanical energy. One important step in understanding about steam explosions is to explain the surface increase of the hot melt. There are several competing fragmentation hypotheses, but so far there has been no model to describe fragmentation criteria as well as the time curve of surface increase on the basis of physical processes. An overall model is now given for one of the possible fragmentation mechanisms, i.e. the division of the melt by collapsing steam bubbles. The model estimates the surface increase of the melt on the basis of heavy supercooled boiling, the heat transfer connected with it, the transfer of mechanical energy during steam bubble collapse, and the solidification of the melt. The results of the calculations have shown that basic experimental observations, e.g. time and extent of fragmentation, are well presented in the model with regard to their order of magnitude. The model presents a qualitatively correct description of the effects of important influencing factors, e.g. supercooling of the coolant or initial temperature of the melt. (orig.) [de

  12. Mixing and Progressive Melting of Deep and Shallow Mantle Sources in the NE Atlantic and Arctic

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trønnes, Reidar; Debaille, Vincianne; Erambert, M.

    2013-01-01

    ). The SCLM-component was mixed with the local asthenosphere during and shortly after the continental rifting and ocean basin opening. Using combined Sr-Nd-Pb- Os-He-isotope systematics, the Iceland plume can be modelled as a mixture of 70% refractory/primordial lower mantle (LM) and 30% recycled oceanic...

  13. Crustal and mantle velocity models of southern Tibet from finite frequency tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Xiaofeng; Shen, Yang; Chen, Yongshun John; Ren, Yong

    2011-02-01

    Using traveltimes of teleseismic body waves recorded by several temporary local seismic arrays, we carried out finite-frequency tomographic inversions to image the three-dimensional velocity structure beneath southern Tibet to examine the roles of the upper mantle in the formation of the Tibetan Plateau. The results reveal a region of relatively high P and S wave velocity anomalies extending from the uppermost mantle to at least 200 km depth beneath the Higher Himalaya. We interpret this high-velocity anomaly as the underthrusting Indian mantle lithosphere. There is a strong low P and S wave velocity anomaly that extends from the lower crust to at least 200 km depth beneath the Yadong-Gulu rift, suggesting that rifting in southern Tibet is probably a process that involves the entire lithosphere. Intermediate-depth earthquakes in southern Tibet are located at the top of an anomalous feature in the mantle with a low Vp, a high Vs, and a low Vp/Vs ratio. One possible explanation for this unusual velocity anomaly is the ongoing granulite-eclogite transformation. Together with the compressional stress from the collision, eclogitization and the associated negative buoyancy force offer a plausible mechanism that causes the subduction of the Indian mantle lithosphere beneath the Higher Himalaya. Our tomographic model and the observation of north-dipping lineations in the upper mantle suggest that the Indian mantle lithosphere has been broken laterally in the direction perpendicular to the convergence beneath the north-south trending rifts and subducted in a progressive, piecewise and subparallel fashion with the current one beneath the Higher Himalaya.

  14. Atlas of the underworld: Slab remnants in the mantle, their sinking history, and a new outlook on lower mantle viscosity

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Meer, Douwe G.; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Spakman, Wim

    2018-01-01

    Across the entire mantle we interpret 94 positive seismic wave-speed anomalies as subducted lithosphere and associate these slabs with their geological record. We document this as the Atlas of the Underworld, also accessible online at www.atlas-of-the-underworld.org, a compilation comprising subduction systems active in the past 300 Myr. Deeper slabs are correlated to older geological records, assuming no relative horizontal motions between adjacent slabs following break-off, using knowledge of global plate circuits, but without assuming a mantle reference frame. The longest actively subducting slabs identified reach the depth of 2500 km and some slabs have impinged on Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces in the deepest mantle. Anomously fast sinking of some slabs occurs in regions affected by long-term plume rising. We conclude that slab remnants eventually sink from the upper mantle to the core-mantle boundary. The range in subduction-age versus - depth in the lower mantle is largely inherited from the upper mantle history of subduction. We find a significant depth variation in average sinking speed of slabs. At the top of the lower mantle average slab sinking speeds are between 10 and 40 mm/yr, followed by a deceleration to 10-15 mm/yr down to depths around 1600-1700 km. In this interval, in situ time-stationary sinking rates suggest deceleration from 20 to 30 mm/yr to 4-8 mm/yr, increasing to 12-15 mm/yr below 2000 km. This corroborates the existence of a slab deceleration zone but we do not observe long-term (> 60 My) slab stagnation, excluding long-term stagnation due to compositional effects. Conversion of slab sinking profiles to viscosity profiles shows the general trend that mantle viscosity increases in the slab deceleration zone below which viscosity slowly decreases in the deep mantle. This is at variance with most published viscosity profiles that are derived from different observations, but agrees qualitatively with recent viscosity profiles suggested

  15. Cumulate xenoliths from St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles Island Arc: a window into upper crustal differentiation of mantle-derived basalts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tollan, P. M. E.; Bindeman, I.; Blundy, J. D.

    2012-02-01

    In order to shed light on upper crustal differentiation of mantle-derived basaltic magmas in a subduction zone setting, we have determined the mineral chemistry and oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition of individual cumulus minerals in plutonic blocks from St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles. Plutonic rock types display great variation in mineralogy, from olivine-gabbros to troctolites and hornblendites, with a corresponding variety of cumulate textures. Mineral compositions differ from those in erupted basaltic lavas from St. Vincent and in published high-pressure (4-10 kb) experimental run products of a St. Vincent high-Mg basalt in having higher An plagioclase coexisting with lower Fo olivine. The oxygen isotope compositions (δ18O) of cumulus olivine (4.89-5.18‰), plagioclase (5.84-6.28‰), clinopyroxene (5.17-5.47‰) and hornblende (5.48-5.61‰) and hydrogen isotope composition of hornblende (δD = -35.5 to -49.9‰) are all consistent with closed system magmatic differentiation of a mantle-derived basaltic melt. We employed a number of modelling exercises to constrain the origin of the chemical and isotopic compositions reported. δ18OOlivine is up to 0.2‰ higher than modelled values for closed system fractional crystallisation of a primary melt. We attribute this to isotopic disequilibria between cumulus minerals crystallising at different temperatures, with equilibration retarded by slow oxygen diffusion in olivine during prolonged crustal storage. We used melt inclusion and plagioclase compositions to determine parental magmatic water contents (water saturated, 4.6 ± 0.5 wt% H2O) and crystallisation pressures (173 ± 50 MPa). Applying these values to previously reported basaltic and basaltic andesite lava compositions, we can reproduce the cumulus plagioclase and olivine compositions and their associated trend. We conclude that differentiation of primitive hydrous basalts on St. Vincent involves crystallisation of olivine and Cr-rich spinel at depth

  16. Tectonic Mechanism for the Mid-Cretaceous - Early Paleogene Intraplate Magmatism from the Gulf of Mexico to Northwestern Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Y.; Murphy, M. A.; Snow, J. E.; van Wijk, J.; Cannon, J. M.; Parsons, C.

    2017-12-01

    Tectonic mechanisms have remained controversial for a number of intraplate igneous suites of mid-Cretaceous - early Paleogene age across North America. They span the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM), through Arkansas and Kansas in the US, to Saskatchewan and Northwestern Territories in Canada, resembling a belt that is located 1000+ km inboard from, and aligned sub-parallel to, the western margin of North America. The northern GoM magmatism is characterized by lamproites, carbonatites, nephelinites, with other alkaline rocks, whereas the rest igneous provinces are dominated by kimberlites. Their geochemical signatures, in general, point to a sub-lithospheric mantle origin. Hypotheses that explain the tectonic origin of these magmatic rocks include: (1) hotspots and mantle plumes, (2) edge-driven convection, (3) lithospheric reactivation, and (4) low-angle subduction. Evaluation based on our integration of published geological and geophysical data shows that contradictions exist in each model between observations and predictions. To explain this plate-scale phenomenon, we propose that the Farallon slab may have stagnated within or around the mantle transition zone during the Early Cretaceous, with its leading edge reaching ca. 1600 km inland beneath the North American plate. Dehydration and decarbonation of the slab produces sporadic, dense, low-degree partial melts at the mantle transition zone depths. As the slab descends into the lower mantle, Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities are induced at slab edges, causing passive upwelling that brings alkali-rich carbonate silicate melts to the base of the overriding plate. Subsequently, the North American lithosphere with varying thicknesses, discontinuities, and compositions interacts with the rising partial melts, generating a spectrum of igneous rocks. Fragments of the once-stagnated slab may still be detectable in the lower mantle beneath eastern US in seismic tomography models. This study highlights a profound plate

  17. Small scatterers in the lower mantle observed at German broadband arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, C.; Weber, M.; Wicks, C.W.; Scherbaum, F.

    1999-01-01

    Seismograms of earthquakes from the South Pacific recorded at a German broadband array and network show precursors to PKPdf. These precursors mainly originate from off-path scattering of PKPab or a nearby PKPbc to P (for receiver-side scattering) or from scattering of P to PKPab or PKPbc on the PKPdf path (for source-side scattering). Standard array processing techniques based on plane wave approximations (such as vespagram or frequency-wavenumber analysis) are inadequate for investigating these precursors since scattered waves cannot be approximated as plane waves for arrays and networks larger than 300 x 300 km for short-period waves. We therefore develop a migration method to estimate the location of scatterers in the mantle, at the core-mantle boundary and at the top of the outer core. With our method we are able to find isolated scatterers at the source side and the receiver side, although the depth of the scatterer is not well constrained. However, from looking at the first possible arrival time of precursors at different depth and the region where scattering can take place (scattering volume), we believe that the location of the scatterers is in the lowermost mantle. Since we have detected scatterers in regions where ultralow-velocity zones have been discovered recently, we think that the precursor energy possibly originates from scattering at partial melt at the base of the mantle. Comparing results from broadband and band-pass-filtered data the detection of small-scale structure of the ultralow-velocity zones becomes possible. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

  18. Timing of pyroxenite formation in supra-subduction Josephine Ophiolite, Oregon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hough, T.; Le Roux, V.; Kurz, M. D.

    2017-12-01

    The Josephine ophiolite is a partly dismembered ophiolite located in southern Oregon and northwestern California (USA). It displays a large ( 640 km2) mantle section that is mostly composed of depleted spinel harzburgite and lherzolite re-equilibrated at temperatures of 900 °C. In addition, the peridotite section of the ophiolite contains minor dunites and pyroxenite veins ranging from orthopyroxenites to clinopyroxenites. Using field, petrological and geochemical data, previous studies have shown that the peridotite experienced 10-20% of hydrous flux melting. In addition, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in harzburgites show variable degrees of light rare-earth element (LREE) enrichment, which suggests percolation and re-equilibration with small fractions of boninite melt. Overall, the trace element concentrations of pyroxenes indicate that the harzburgites experienced particularly high degrees of melting in the mantle wedge. We collected a number of orthopyroxenite and clinopyroxenite veins in the mantle section of the Josephine Ophiolite. Here we present the major and rare-earth element (REE) contents of pyroxene in 4 orthopyroxenites and 2 clinopyroxenites and calculate the major element and REE closure temperatures for individual veins. We show that individual pyroxenites record drastic variations in their degree of REE depletion, indicating that multiple generations of melts percolated the peridotite. The pyroxenite veins also record higher REE closure temperatures (>1200 ºC) compared to the surrounding peridotite, potentially indicating rapid cooling after emplacement. REE closure temperatures are also higher than major element closure temperatures. In parallel, we analyzed Sr isotopes by MC-ICPMS in pyroxene separates from 4 veins. Results indicate that the maximum age of emplacement of orthopyroxenite veins corresponds to the age of exhumation. Some clinopyroxenites may have formed during earlier melt percolation events. This study supports the idea that

  19. Melting of Dense Sodium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregoryanz, Eugene; Degtyareva, Olga; Hemley, Russell J.; Mao, Ho-kwang; Somayazulu, Maddury

    2005-01-01

    High-pressure high-temperature synchrotron diffraction measurements reveal a maximum on the melting curve of Na in the bcc phase at ∼31 GPa and 1000 K and a steep decrease in melting temperature in its fcc phase. The results extend the melting curve by an order of magnitude up to 130 GPa. Above 103 GPa, Na crystallizes in a sequence of phases with complex structures with unusually low melting temperatures, reaching 300 K at 118 GPa, and an increased melting temperature is observed with further increases in pressure

  20. Erythritol: crystal growth from the melt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes Jesus, A J; Nunes, Sandra C C; Ramos Silva, M; Matos Beja, A; Redinha, J S

    2010-03-30

    The structural changes occurring on erythritol as it is cooled from the melt to low temperature, and then heated up to the melting point have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light thermal microscopy (PLTM), X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). By DSC, it was possible to set up the conditions to obtain an amorphous solid, a crystalline solid, or a mixture of both materials in different proportions. Two crystalline forms have been identified: a stable and a metastable one with melting points of 117 and 104 degrees C, respectively. The fusion curve decomposition of the stable form revealed the existence of three conformational structures. The main paths of the crystallization from the melt were followed by PLTM. The texture and colour changes allowed the characterization of the different phases and transitions in which they are involved on cooling as well as on heating processes. The type of crystallization front and its velocity were also followed by microscopic observation. These observations, together with the data provided by PXRD, allowed elucidating the transition of the metastable form into the stable one. The structural changes occurring upon the cooling and subsequent heating processes, namely those arising from intermolecular hydrogen bonds, were also accompanied by infrared spectroscopy. Particular attention was given to the spectral changes occurring in the OH stretching region. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Volatile and light lithophile elements in high-anorthite plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions from Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neave, David A.; Hartley, Margaret E.; Maclennan, John; Edmonds, Marie; Thordarson, Thorvaldur

    2017-05-01

    Melt inclusions formed during the early stages of magmatic evolution trap primitive melt compositions and enable the volatile contents of primary melts and the mantle to be estimated. However, the syn- and post-entrapment behaviour of volatiles in primitive high-anorthite plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions from oceanic basalts remains poorly constrained. To address this deficit, we present volatile and light lithophile element analyses from a well-characterised suite of nine matrix glasses and 102 melt inclusions from the 10 ka Grímsvötn tephra series (i.e., Saksunarvatn ash) of Iceland's Eastern Volcanic Zone (EVZ). High matrix glass H2O and S contents indicate that eruption-related exsolution was arrested by quenching in a phreatomagmatic setting; Li, B, F and Cl did not exsolve during eruption. The almost uniformly low CO2 content of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions cannot be explained by either shallow entrapment or the sequestration of CO2 into shrinkage bubbles, suggesting that inclusion CO2 contents were controlled by decrepitation instead. High H2O/Ce values in primitive plagioclase-hosted inclusions (182-823) generally exceed values expected for EVZ primary melts (∼ 180), and can be accounted for by diffusive H2O gain following the entrainment of primitive macrocrysts into evolved and H2O-rich melts a few days before eruption. A strong positive correlation between H2O and Li in plagioclase-hosted inclusions suggests that diffusive Li gain may also have occurred. Extreme F enrichments in primitive plagioclase-hosted inclusions (F/Nd = 51-216 versus ∼15 in matrix glasses) possibly reflect the entrapment of inclusions from high-Al/(Al + Si) melt pools formed by dissolution-crystallisation processes (as indicated by HFSE depletions in some inclusions), and into which F was concentrated by uphill diffusion since F is highly soluble in Al-rich melts. The high S/Dy of primitive inclusions (∼300) indicates that primary melts were S-rich in comparison

  2. Very low sound velocities in iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O: Implications for the core-mantle boundary region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wicks, J.K.; Jackson, J.M.; Sturhahn, W.

    2010-01-01

    The sound velocities of (Mg .16 Fe .84 )O have been measured to 121 GPa at ambient temperature using nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. The effect of electronic environment of the iron sites on the sound velocities were tracked in situ using synchrotron Moessbauer spectroscopy. We found the sound velocities of (Mg .16 Fe .84 )O to be much lower than those in other presumed mantle phases at similar conditions, most notably at very high pressures. Conservative estimates of the effect of temperature and dilution on aggregate sound velocities show that only a small amount of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O can greatly reduce the average sound velocity of an assemblage. We propose that iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O be a source of ultra-low velocity zones. Other properties of this phase, such as enhanced density and dynamic stability, strongly support the presence of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O in localized patches above the core-mantle boundary.

  3. Major element composition of the lithospheric mantle under the North Atlantic craton

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bizzarro, Martin; Stevenson, R.K.

    2003-01-01

    nature of the Sarfartoq mantle showing comparable degrees of depletion to other cratonic roots. Modal analyses indicate that the Sarfartoq mantle is not typified by the orthopyroxene enrichment observed in the Kaapvaal root, but shows more affinity with the Canadian Arctic (Somerset Island), Tanzania...... is compositionally layered as follows: (1) an internally stratified upper layer (70 to 180 km) consisting of coarse, un-deformed, refractory garnet-bearing and garnet-free peridotites and, (2) a lower layer (180 to 225 km) characterized by fertile, CPX-bearing, porphyroclastic garnet lherzolites. The stratification...

  4. Multiple magmatism in an evolving suprasubduction zone mantle wedge: The case of the composite mafic-ultramafic complex of Gaositai, North China Craton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Fan; Santosh, M.; Tsunogae, T.; Tang, Li; Teng, Xueming

    2017-07-01

    The suprasubduction zone mantle wedge of active convergent margins is impregnated by melts and fluids leading to the formation of a variety of magmatic and metasomatic rock suites. Here we investigate a composite mafic-ultramafic intrusion at Gaositai, in the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). The hornblende gabbro-serpentinite-dunite-pyroxenite-gabbro-diorite suite surrounded by hornblendites of this complex has long been considered to represent an "Alaskan-type" zoned pluton. We present petrologic, mineral chemical, geochemical and zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf data from the various rock types from Gaositai including hornblende gabbro, serpentinite, dunite, pyroxenite, diorite and the basement hornblendite which reveal the case of multiple melt generation and melt-peridotite interaction. Our new mineral chemical data from the mafic-ultramafic suite exclude an "Alaskan-type" affinity, and the bulk geochemical features are consistent with subduction-related magmatism with enrichment of LILE (K, Rb, and Ba) and LREE (La and Ce), and depletion of HFSE (Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf) and HREE. Zircon U-Pb geochronology reveals that the hornblendites surrounding the Gaositai complex are nearly 2 billion years older than the intrusive complex and yield early Paleoproterozoic emplacement ages (2433-2460 Ma), followed by late Paleoproterozoic metamorphism (1897 Ma). The serpentinites trace the history of a long-lived and replenished ancient sub-continental lithospheric mantle with the oldest zircon population dated as 2479 Ma and 1896 Ma, closely corresponding with the ages obtained from the basement rock, followed by Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic zircon growth. The oldest member in the Gaositai composite intrusion is the dunite that yields emplacement age of 755 Ma, followed by pyroxenite formed through the interaction of slab melt and wedge mantle peridotite at 401 Ma. All the rock suites also carry multiple population of younger zircons ranging in age from Paleozoic to

  5. Comparison of mantle lithosphere beneath early Triassic kimberlite fields in Siberian craton reconstructed from deep-seated xenocrysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.V. Ashchepkov

    2016-07-01

    Kharamai mantle clinopyroxenes represent three geochemical types: (1 harzburgitic with inclined linear REE, HFSE troughs and elevated Th, U; (2 lherzolitic or pyroxenitic with round TRE patterns and decreasing incompatible elements; (3 eclogitic with Eu troughs, Pb peak and high LILE content. Calculated parental melts for garnets with humped REE patterns suggest dissolution of former Cpx and depression means Cpx and garnets extraction. Clinopyroxenes from Ary-Mastakh fields show less inclined REE patterns with HMREE troughs and an increase of incompatible elements. Clinopyroxenes from Kuranakh field show flatter spoon-like REE patterns and peaks in Ba, U, Pb and Sr, similar to those in ophiolitic harzburgites. The PT diagrams for the mantle sections show high temperature gradients in the uppermost SCLM accompanied by an increase of P-Fe#Ol upward and slightly reduced thickness of the mantle keel of the Siberian craton, resulting from the influence of the Permian–Triassic superplume, but with no signs of delamination.

  6. Mantle hydration along outer-rise faults inferred from serpentinite permeability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatakeyama, Kohei; Katayama, Ikuo; Hirauchi, Ken-Ichi; Michibayashi, Katsuyoshi

    2017-10-24

    Recent geophysical surveys indicate that hydration (serpentinization) of oceanic mantle is related to outer-rise faulting prior to subduction. The serpentinization of oceanic mantle influences the generation of intermediate-depth earthquakes and subduction water flux, thereby promoting arc volcanism. Since the chemical reactions that produce serpentinite are geologically rapid at low temperatures, the flux of water delivery to the reaction front appears to control the lateral extent of serpentinization. In this study, we measured the permeability of low-temperature serpentinites composed of lizardite and chrysotile, and calculated the lateral extent of serpentinization along an outer-rise fault based on Darcy's law. The experimental results indicate that serpentinization extends to a region several hundred meters wide in the direction normal to the outer-rise fault in the uppermost oceanic mantle. We calculated the global water flux carried by serpentinized oceanic mantle ranging from 1.7 × 10 11 to 2.4 × 10 12  kg/year, which is comparable or even higher than the water flux of hydrated oceanic crust.

  7. Mantle temperature under drifting deformable continents during the supercontinent cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Masaki

    2013-04-01

    The thermal heterogeneity of the Earth's mantle under the drifting continents during a supercontinent cycle is a controversial issue in earth science. Here, a series of numerical simulations of mantle convection are performed in 3D spherical-shell geometry, incorporating drifting deformable continents and self-consistent plate tectonics, to evaluate the subcontinental mantle temperature during a supercontinent cycle. Results show that the laterally averaged temperature anomaly of the subcontinental mantle remains within several tens of degrees (±50 °C) throughout the simulation time. Even after the formation of the supercontinent and the development of subcontinental plumes due to the subduction of the oceanic plates, the laterally averaged temperature anomaly of the deep mantle under the continent is within +10 °C. This implies that there is no substantial temperature difference between the subcontinental and suboceanic mantles during a supercontinent cycle. The temperature anomaly immediately beneath the supercontinent is generally positive owing to the thermal insulation effect and the active upwelling plumes from the core-mantle boundary. In the present simulation, the formation of a supercontinent causes the laterally averaged subcontinental temperature to increase by a maximum of 50 °C, which would produce sufficient tensional force to break up the supercontinent. The periodic assembly and dispersal of continental fragments, referred to as the supercontinent cycle, bear close relation to the evolution of mantle convection and plate tectonics. Supercontinent formation involves complex processes of introversion, extroversion or a combination of these in uniting dispersed continental fragments, as against the simple opening and closing of individual oceans envisaged in Wilson cycle. In the present study, I evaluate supercontinent processes in a realistic mantle convection regime. Results show that the assembly of supercontinents is accompanied by a

  8. A geochemical study of lithospheric mantle beneath Northern Victoria Land (Antarctica): main evidences from volatile content in ultramafic xenoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correale, Alessandra; Pelorosso, Beatrice; Rizzo, Andrea Luca; Coltorti, Massimo; Italiano, Francesco; Bonadiman, Costanza

    2017-04-01

    A geochemical study of ultramafic xenoliths from Northern Victoria Land (Green Point, GP and Handler Ridge, HR), is carried out in order to investigate the features of the lithosphere mantle beneath the Western Antarctic Ridge System (WARS). The majority of samples is spinel anhydrous lherzolite with rare presence of secondary phases (secondary cpx and glass). Geothermobarometric calculations, based on the Fe/Mg distribution among the peridotite minerals reveal that Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle (SCLM) beneath Handler Ridge records temperatures and redox conditions higher then Greene Point (P fixed at 15 Kbar). Moreover, geochemical models evidence that, GP mantle domain represents a residuum after ˜7 to 21 % of partial melting in the spinel stability field, which was variably affected by interaction with infiltrating melts, acting in different times, from at least Jurassic to Cenozoic (Pelorosso et al., 2016). Fluid inclusions (FI) entrapped in olivine and pyroxene crystals were investigated for elemental and isotopic contents of both, noble gases (He, Ne, Ar) and CO2. He, Ar and Ne concentrations range from 1.52×10-14 to 1.07×10-12, from 4.09×10-13 to 3.47×10-11and from 2.84×10-16 to 7.57×10-14 mol/g, respectively, while the CO2amounts are between 7.08×10-10 and 8.12×10-7 mol/g. The 3He/4He varies between 5.95 and 20.18 Ra (where Ra is the 3He/4He ratio of air), being the lowest and the highest values measured in the He-poorer samples. Post-eruptive input of cosmogenic 3He and radiogenic 4He seems to influence mainly the samples associated to a lower He concentrations, increasing and decreasing respectively their primordial 3He/4He values, that for all the other samples range between 6.76 and 7.45 Ra. This range reasonably reflects the isotope signature of mantle beneath the investigated areas. The 4He/40Ar* ratio corrected for atmospheric-derived contamination ranges between 0.004 and 0.39. The lowest 4He/40Ar* values (4He/40Ar*correspondence of

  9. Density Anomalies in the Mantle and the Gravitational Core-Mantle Interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuang, Weijia; Liu, Lanbo

    2003-01-01

    Seismic studies suggest that the bulk of the mantle is heterogeneous, with density variations in depth as well as in horizontal directions (latitude and longitude). This density variation produces a three- dimensional gravity field throughout the Earth. On the other hand, the core density also varies in both time and space, due to convective core flow. Consequently, the fluid outer core and the solid mantle interact gravitationally due to the mass anomalies in both regions. This gravitational core-mantle interaction could play a significant role in exchange of angular momentum between the core and the mantle, and thus the change in Earth's rotation on time scales of decades and longer. Aiming at estimating the significance of the gravitational core-mantle interaction on Earth's rotation variation, we introduce in our MoSST core dynamics model a heterogeneous mantle, with a density distribution derived from seismic results. In this model, the core convection is driven by the buoyancy forces. And the density variation is determined dynamically with the convection. Numerical simulation is carried out with different parameter values, intending to extrapolate numerical results for geophysical implications.

  10. Steady state toroidal magnetic field at earth's core-mantle boundary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, Eugene H.; Pearce, Steven J.

    1991-01-01

    Measurements of the dc electrical potential near the top of earth's mantle have been extrapolated into the deep mantle in order to estimate the strength of the toroidal magnetic field component at the core-mantle interface. Recent measurements have been interpreted as indicating that at the core-mantle interface, the magnetic toroidal and poloidal field components are approximately equal in magnitude. A motivation for such measurements is to obtain an estimate of the strength of the toroidal magnetic field in the core, a quantity important to our understanding of the geomagnetic field's dynamo generation. Through the use of several simple and idealized calculation, this paper discusses the theoretical relationship between the amplitude of the toroidal magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary and the actual amplitude within the core. Even with a very low inferred value of the toroidal field amplitude at the core-mantle boundary, (a few gauss), the toroidal field amplitude within the core could be consistent with a magnetohydrodynamic dynamo dominated by nonuniform rotation and having a strong toroidal magnetic field.

  11. The melting curve of MgSiO3 perovskite from molecular dynamics simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Zijiang; Zhang Cairong; Sun Xiaowei; Song Ting; Chu Yandong; Hu Jianbo

    2011-01-01

    The high-pressure melting curve of MgSiO 3 perovskite is simulated by using the constant temperature and pressure molecular dynamics method combined with effective pair potentials. The simulated structural properties of MgSiO 3 perovskite at ambient conditions reproduce the experiments and agree well with other theoretical works. The calculated equation of state is very successful in reproducing accurately the recent experimental data over wide pressure ranges. The predicted high-pressure melting curve is in good agreement with the recent experimental and the latest theoretical ones, and the melting curve up to the core-mantle boundary pressure, being very steep at lower pressures, rapidly flattens on increasing pressure. The present results also suggest the validity of the experimental data of Zerr and Boehler (1993 Science 262 553) and Shen and Lazor (1995 J. Geophys. Res. 100 17699).

  12. Iron isotopes in ancient and modern komatiites: Evidence in support of an oxidised mantle from Archean to present

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hibbert, K. E. J.; Williams, H. M.; Kerr, A. C.; Puchtel, I. S.

    2012-03-01

    The mantle of the modern Earth is relatively oxidised compared to the initially reducing conditions inferred for core formation. The timing of the oxidation of the mantle is not conclusively resolved but has important implications for the timing of the development of the hydrosphere and atmosphere. In order to examine the timing of this oxidation event, we present iron isotope data from three exceptionally well preserved komatiite localities, Belingwe (2.7 Ga), Vetreny (2.4 Ga) and Gorgona (0.089 Ga). Measurements of Fe isotope compositions of whole-rock samples are complemented by the analysis of olivine, spinel and pyroxene separates. Bulk-rock and olivine Fe isotope compositions (δ57Fe) define clear linear correlations with indicators of magmatic differentiation (Mg#, Cr#). The mean Fe isotope compositions of the 2.7-2.4 Ga and 0.089 Ga samples are statistically distinct and this difference can be explained by greater extent of partial melting represented by the older samples and higher mantle ambient temperatures in the Archean and early Proterozoic relative to the present day. Significantly, samples of all ages define continuous positive linear correlations between bulk rock δ57Fe and V/Sc and δ57Fe and V, and between V/Sc and V with TiO2, providing evidence for the incompatible behaviour of V (relative to Sc) and of isotopically heavy Fe. Partial melting models calculated using partition coefficients for V at oxygen fugacities (fO2s) of 0 and + 1 relative to the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer (FMQ) best match the data arrays, which are defined by all samples, from late Archean to Tertiary. These data, therefore, provide evidence for komatiite generation under moderately oxidising conditions since the late Archean, and argue against a change in mantle fO2 concomitant with atmospheric oxygenation at ~ 2.4 Ga.

  13. Research and development on the melting test of low-level radioactive miscellaneous solid waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakashio, Nobuyuki; Hoshi, Akiko; Kameo, Yutaka; Nakashima, Mikio

    2007-02-01

    The Nuclear Science Research Institute of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency constructed the Advanced Volume Reduction Facilities (AVRF) in February 2003 for treatment of low-level radioactive miscellaneous solid waste (LLW). The waste volume reduction is carried out by a high-compaction process or melting processes in the AVRF. In advance of operating the melting process in the AVRF, melting tests of simulated LLW with RI tracers ( 60 Co, 137 Cs and 152 Eu) have been conducted by using the plasma melter in pilot scale. Viscosity of molten waste, chemical composition and physical properties of solidified products and distribution of the tracers in each product were investigated in various melting conditions. It was confirmed that the viscosity of molten waste was able to be controlled by adjusting chemical composition of molten waste. The RI tracer were almost uniformly distributed in the solidified products. The retention of 137 Cs depended on the basicity (CaO/SiO 2 ) of the solidified products. The solidified product possessed satisfactory compressive strength. In the case of basicity less than 0.8, the leachability of RI tracers from the solidified products was less than or equal to that of a high-level vitrified waste. In this review, experimental results of the melting tests were discussed in order to contribute to actual treatment of LLW in the AVRF. (author)

  14. Platinum-group elements, S, Se and Cu in highly depleted abyssal peridotites from the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge (ODP Hole 1274A): Influence of hydrothermal and magmatic processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchesi, Claudio; Garrido, Carlos J.; Harvey, Jason; González-Jiménez, José María; Hidas, Károly; Lorand, Jean-Pierre; Gervilla, Fernando

    2013-11-01

    Highly depleted harzburgites and dunites were recovered from ODP Hole 1274A, near the intersection between the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge and the 15°20'N Fracture Zone. In addition to high degrees of partial melting, these peridotites underwent multiple episodes of melt-rock reaction and intense serpentinization and seawater alteration close to the seafloor. Low concentrations of Se, Cu and platinum-group elements (PGE) in harzburgites drilled at around 35-85 m below seafloor are consistent with the consumption of mantle sulfides after high degrees (>15-20 %) of partial melting and redistribution of chalcophile and siderophile elements into PGE-rich residual microphases. Higher concentrations of Cu, Se, Ru, Rh and Pd in harzburgites from the uppermost and lowest cores testify to late reaction with a sulfide melt. Dunites were formed by percolation of silica- and sulfur-undersaturated melts into low-Se harzburgites. Platinum-group and chalcophile elements were not mobilized during dunite formation and mostly preserve the signature of precursor harzburgites, except for higher Ru and lower Pt contents caused by precipitation and removal of platinum-group minerals. During serpentinization at low temperature (desulfurization to S-poor sulfides (mainly heazlewoodite) and awaruite. Contrary to Se and Cu, sulfur does not record the magmatic evolution of peridotites but was mostly added in hydrothermal sulfides and sulfate from seawater. Platinum-group elements were unaffected by post-magmatic low-temperature processes, except Pt and Pd that may have been slightly remobilized during oxidative seawater alteration.

  15. Constraints on The Coupled Thermal Evolution of the Earth's Core and Mantle, The Age of The Inner Core, And The Origin of the 186Os/188Os Core(?) Signal in Plume-Derived Lavas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lassiter, J. C.

    2005-12-01

    Thermal and chemical interaction between the core and mantle has played a critical role in the thermal and chemical evolution of the Earth's interior. Outer core convection is driven by core cooling and inner core crystallization. Core/mantle heat transfer also buffers mantle potential temperature, resulting in slower rates of mantle cooling (~50-100 K/Ga) than would be predicted from the discrepancy between current rates of surface heat loss (~44 TW) and internal radioactive heat production (~20 TW). Core/mantle heat transfer may also generate thermal mantle plumes responsible for ocean island volcanic chains such as the Hawaiian Islands. Several studies suggest that mantle plumes, in addition to transporting heat from the core/mantle boundary, also carry a chemical signature of core/mantle interaction. Elevated 186Os/188Os ratios in lavas from Hawaii, Gorgona, and in the 2.8 Ga Kostomuksha komatiites have been interpreted as reflecting incorporation of an outer core component with high time-integrated Pt/Os and Re/Os ( Brandon et al., 1999, 2003; Puchtel et al., 2005). Preferential partitioning of Os relative to Re and Pt into the inner core during inner core growth may generate elevated Re/Os and Pt/Os ratios in the residual outer core. Because of the long half-life of 190Pt (the parent of 186Os, t1/2 = 489 Ga), an elevated 186Os/188Os outer core signature in plume lavas requires that inner core crystallization began early in Earth history, most likely prior to 3.5 Ga. This in turn requires low time-averaged core/mantle heat flow (<~2.5 TW) or large quantities of heat-producing elements in the core. Core/mantle heat flow may be estimated using boundary-layer theory, by measuring the heat transported in mantle plumes, by estimating the heat transported along the outer core adiabat, or by comparing the rates of heat production, surface heat loss, and secular cooling of the mantle. All of these independent methods suggest time-averaged core/mantle heat flow of ~5

  16. Lu-Hf isotope constraints on plume-lithosphere interaction during emplacement of the Bushveld Large Igneous Province at 2.06 Ga: Implications for the structure and evolution of the Kaapvaal Craton's lithospheric mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zirakparvar, N. A.; Mathez, E. A.; Rajesh, H.; Vervoort, J. D.; Choe, S.

    2016-12-01

    The Bushveld Large Igneous Province (B-LIP) comprises a diverse array of >30 magma bodies that intruded the Kaapvaal Craton at 2.06 Ga. In this talk we use zircon and bulk-rock Lu-Hf isotope data to show that the B-LIP formed in response to the arrival of a plume(s) from the deep mantle. New zircon Hf isotope compositions for four B-LIP bodies yield intrusion-specific average ɛHf (2.06 Ga) values that range from -20.7 ± 2.8 to -2.7 ± 2.8, largely consistent with literature zircon data for other B-LIP intrusions. Bulk-rock solution ɛHf (2.06 Ga) values for a variety of B-LIP intrusions range from -2.1 ± 0.2 to -10.6 ± 0.2. Because the most radiogenic Hf isotope compositions across the entire B-LIP are nearly primordial with an ɛHf (2.06 Ga) close to 0, it is likely that the heat source of the B-LIP was a plume(s) from deep mantle. The Hf isotope data further suggests that individual intrusions in the B-LIP can be grouped into four categories based on their ultimate sources: 1) melts generated in subduction and plume modified continental lithospheric mantle; 2) melts generated by melting of a mafic-ultramafic reservoir composed of older ( 2.7 Ga) plume-related material trapped in the Kaapvaal lithosphere; 3) melts generated in the mid- to upper crust; and 4) melts generated from the 2.06 Ga mantle plume itself. The presence of 2.7 Ga mafic-ultramafic material in the Kaapvaal lithosphere may have acted to strengthen the lithosphere so that it was able to resist being dispered by the arrival of the B-LIP plume at 2.06 Ga. Because the B-LIP extends into a 2.7 Ga aged suture zone between the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe cratons, it is also possible to understand the role of the lithospheric mantle in producing the Lu-Hf signatures observed in the various B-LIP intrusions as a function of two different types of the continental lithosphere: The very old lithosphere comprising the Kaapvaal Craton and the somewhat younger lithosphere comprising the suture zone. A basic

  17. Upper mantle fluids evolution, diamond formation, and mantle metasomatism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, F.; Sverjensky, D. A.

    2017-12-01

    During mantle metasomatism, fluid-rock interactions in the mantle modify wall-rock compositions. Previous studies usually either investigated mineral compositions in xenoliths and xenocrysts brought up by magmas, or examined fluid compositions preserved in fluid inclusions in diamonds. However, a key study of Panda diamonds analysed both mineral and fluid inclusions in the diamonds [1] which we used to develop a quantitative characterization of mantle metasomatic processes. In the present study, we used an extended Deep Earth Water model [2] to simulate fluid-rock interactions at upper mantle conditions, and examine the fluids and mineral assemblages together simultaneously. Three types of end-member fluids in the Panda diamond fluid inclusions include saline, rich in Na+K+Cl; silicic, rich in Si+Al; and carbonatitic, rich in Ca+Mg+Fe [1, 3]. We used the carbonatitic end-member to represent fluid from a subducting slab reacting with an excess of peridotite + some saline fluid in the host environment. During simultaneous fluid mixing and reaction with the host rock, the logfO2 increased by about 1.6 units, and the pH increased by 0.7 units. The final minerals were olivine, garnet and diamond. The Mg# of olivine decreased from 0.92 to 0.85. Garnet precipitated at an early stage, and its Mg# also decreased with reaction progress, in agreement with the solid inclusions in the Panda diamonds. Phlogopite precipitated as an intermediate mineral and then disappeared. The aqueous Ca, Mg, Fe, Si and Al concentrations all increased, while Na, K, and Cl concentrations decreased during the reaction, consistent with trends in the fluid inclusion compositions. Our study demonstrates that fluids coming from subducting slabs could trigger mantle metasomatism, influence the compositions of sub-lithospherc cratonic mantle, precipitate diamonds, and change the oxygen fugacity and pH of the upper mantle fluids. [1] Tomlinson et al. EPSL (2006); [2] Sverjensky, DA et al., GCA (2014

  18. Origin of silicic magmas along the Central American volcanic front: Genetic relationship to mafic melts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Thomas A.; Patino, Lina C.; Eaton, Jonathon K.; Valley, John W.; Rose, William I.; Alvarado, Guillermo E.; Viray, Ela L.

    2006-09-01

    Silicic pyroclastic flows and related deposits are abundant along the Central American volcanic front. These silicic magmas erupted through both the non-continental Chorotega block to the southeast and the Paleozoic continental Chortis block to the northwest. The along-arc variations of the silicic deposits with respect to diagnostic trace element ratios (Ba/La, U/Th, Ce/Pb), oxygen isotopes, Nd and Sr isotope ratios mimic the along-arc variation in the basaltic and andesitic lavas. This variation in the lavas has been interpreted to indicate relative contributions from the slab and asthenosphere to the basaltic magmas [Carr, M.J., Feigenson, M.D., Bennett, E.A., 1990. Incompatible element and isotopic evidence for tectonic control of source mixing and melt extraction along the Central American arc. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 105, 369-380.; Patino, L.C., Carr, M.J. and Feigenson, M.D., 2000. Local and regional variations in Central American arc lavas controlled by variations in subducted sediment input. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 138 (3), 265-283.]. With respect to along-arc trends in basaltic lavas the largest contribution of slab fluids is in Nicaragua and the smallest input from the slab is in central Costa Rica — similar trends are observed in the silicic pyroclastic deposits. Data from melting experiments of primitive basalts and basaltic andesites demonstrate that it is difficult to produce high K 2O/Na 2O silicic magmas by fractional crystallization or partial melting of low-K 2O/Na 2O sources. However fractional crystallization or partial melting of medium- to high-K basalts can produce these silicic magmas. We interpret that the high-silica magmas associated Central America volcanic front are partial melts of penecontemporaneous, mantle-derived, evolved magmas that have ponded and crystallized in the mid-crust — or are melts extracted from these nearly completely crystallized magmas.

  19. Titanates of the lindsleyite-mathiasite (LIMA) group reveal isotope disequilibrium associated with metasomatism in the mantle beneath Kimberley (South Africa)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giuliani, Andrea; Woodhead, Jon D.; Phillips, David; Maas, Roland; Davies, Gareth R.; Griffin, William L.

    2018-01-01

    Radiogenic isotope variations unrelated to radiogenic ingrowth are common between minerals found in metasomatised mantle xenoliths entrained in kimberlite, basalts and related magmas. As the metasomatic minerals are assumed to have been in isotopic equilibrium originally, such variations are typically attributed to contamination by the magma host and/or interaction with mantle fluids during or before xenolith transport to surface. However, the increasing evidence of metasomatism by multiple, compositionally distinct fluids permeating the lithospheric mantle, coeval with specific magmatic events, suggests that isotopic disequilibrium might be a consequence of discrete, though complex, metasomatic events. Here we provide clear evidence of elemental and Sr isotope heterogeneity between coeval Ti-rich LIMA (lindsleyite-mathiasite) minerals at the time of their formation in the mantle. LIMA minerals occur in close textural association with clinopyroxene and phlogopite in low-temperature (∼800-900 °C), strongly metasomatised mantle xenoliths from the ∼84 Ma Bultfontein kimberlite (South Africa). Previous U/Pb dating of the LIMA phases was used to argue that each xenolith recorded a single event of LIMA crystallisation at ∼180-190 Ma, coeval with the emplacement of Karoo magmas. SEM imaging reveals that up to four types of LIMA phases coexist in each xenolith, and occasionally in a single LIMA grain. Major element and in situ Sr isotope analyses of the different LIMA types show that each phase has a distinct elemental composition and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio (e.g., 0.7068-0.7086 and 0.7115-0.7129 for two LIMA types in a single xenolith; 0.7053-0.7131 across the entire sample suite). These combined age and isotopic constraints require that multiple fluids metasomatised these rocks at broadly the same time (i.e. within a few thousands to millions of years), and produced similar mineralogical features. Elemental and isotopic variations between different LIMA types

  20. Analysis of the flow structure and heat transfer in a vertical mantle heat exchanger

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Søren; Morrison, GL; Behnia, M

    2005-01-01

    initially mixed and initially stratified inner tank and mantle. The analysis of the heat transfer showed that the flow in the mantle near the inlet is mixed convection flow and that the heat transfer is dependent on the mantle inlet temperature relative to the core tank temperature at the mantle level. (C......The flow structure inside the inner tank and inside the mantle of a vertical mantle heat exchanger was investigated using a full-scale tank designed to facilitate flow visualisation. The flow structure and velocities in the inner tank and in the mantle were measured using a Particle Image...... Velocimetry (PIV) system. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the vertical mantle heat exchanger was also developed for a detailed evaluation of the heat flux at the mantle wall and at the tank wall. The flow structure was evaluated for both high and low temperature incoming flows and for both...

  1. Gondwana subduction-modified mantle domain prevents magmatic seafloor generation in the Central Indian Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morishita, T.; Nakamura, K.; Senda, R.; Suzuki, K.; Kumagai, H.; Sato, H.; Sato, T.; Shibuya, T.; Minoguchi, K.; Okino, K.

    2013-12-01

    The creation of oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges is essential to understanding the genesis of oceanic plate and the evolution of the Earth. Detailed bathymetric measurements coupled with dense sample recovery at mid-ocean ridge revealed a wide range of variations in the ridge and seafloor morphologies, which cannot be simply explained by a spreading rate, but also by ridge geometry, mantle compositions and thermal structure (Dick et al., 2003 Nature; Cannat et al. 2006 Geology). It is now widely accepted that very limited magmatic activity with tectonic stretching generates oceanic core complex and/or smooth seafloor surface in the slow to ultraslow-spreading ridges, where serpentinized peridotite and gabbros are expected to be exposed associated with detachment faults (Cann et al., 1997 Nature; Cannat et al., 2006), although magmatism might be an essential role for the formation of oceanic core complexes (Buck et al., 2005 Nature; Tucholke et al 2008 JGR). A rising question is why magmatic activity is sometimes prevented during the oceanic plate formation. Ancient melting domain, that are too refractory to melt even in adiabatically upwelling to the shallow upper mantle, might cause the amagmatic spreading ridges (Harvey et al., 2006 EPSL, Liu et al.,2008 Nature). Its origin and effect on seafloor generations are, however, not well understood yet. We report an oceanic hill as an example of an ancient subduction-modified mantle domain, probably formed at continental margin of the Gondwanaland~Pangea supercontinent, existing beneath the Central Indian Ridge. This domain is the most likely to have prevented magmatic seafloor generation, resulting in creation of very deep oceanic valley and serpentine diaper (now the studied oceanic hill) at the present Central Indian ridge.

  2. Zircon (Hf, O isotopes) as melt indicator: Melt infiltration and abundant new zircon growth within melt rich layers of granulite-facies lenses versus solid-state recrystallization in hosting amphibolite-facies gneisses (central Erzgebirge, Bohemian Massif)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tichomirowa, Marion; Whitehouse, Martin; Gerdes, Axel; Schulz, Bernhard

    2018-03-01

    partial Hf isotope homogenization in the melt, and melt infiltration from an external source. New zircon was most likely formed by a peritectic reaction with melt above the wet solidus (peritectic zircon). Conversely, the amphibolite-facies host gneisses lack indications of significant melt production. Pre-metamorphic zircons experienced mainly solid-state recrystallization and variable Pb loss with only minor new zircon formation. However, subtle changes in cathodoluminescence pattern, in the Hf and O isotopes, and in the Lu/Hf, Yb/Hf ratios of zircons suggest that small volumes of melt were locally present. In difference to granulites, melt was internally produced. The detection of low degree melts (inferred from zircon geochemistry) is extremely important for the rheology because these amphibolite-facies rocks could act as large scale ductile shear zones. The new zircon data support a different P-T path for closely spaced amphibolite- and granulite-facies rocks.

  3. Flow in the western Mediterranean shallow mantle: Insights from xenoliths in Pliocene alkali basalts from SE Iberia (eastern Betics, Spain)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidas, Károly; Konc, Zoltán.; Garrido, Carlos J.; Tommasi, Andréa.; Vauchez, Alain; Padrón-Navarta, José Alberto; Marchesi, Claudio; Booth-Rea, Guillermo; Acosta-Vigil, Antonio; Szabó, Csaba; Varas-Reus, María. Isabel; Gervilla, Fernando

    2016-11-01

    Mantle xenoliths in Pliocene alkali basalts of the eastern Betics (SE Iberia, Spain) are spinel ± plagioclase lherzolite, with minor harzburgite and wehrlite, displaying porphyroclastic or equigranular textures. Equigranular peridotites have olivine crystal preferred orientation (CPO) patterns similar to those of porphyroclastic xenoliths but slightly more dispersed. Olivine CPO shows [100]-fiber patterns characterized by strong alignment of [100]-axes subparallel to the stretching lineation and a girdle distribution of [010]-axes normal to it. This pattern is consistent with simple shear or transtensional deformation accommodated by dislocation creep. One xenolith provides evidence for synkinematic reactive percolation of subduction-related Si-rich melts/fluids that resulted in oriented crystallization of orthopyroxene. Despite a seemingly undeformed microstructure, the CPO in orthopyroxenite veins in composite xenoliths is identical to those of pyroxenes in the host peridotite, suggesting late-kinematic crystallization. Based on these observations, we propose that the annealing producing the equigranular microstructures was triggered by melt percolation in the shallow subcontinental lithospheric mantle coeval to the late Neogene formation of veins in composite xenoliths. Calculated seismic properties are characterized by fast propagation of P waves and polarization of fast S waves parallel to olivine [100]-axis (stretching lineation). These data are compatible with present-day seismic anisotropy observations in SE Iberia if the foliations in the lithospheric mantle are steeply dipping and lineations are subhorizontal with ENE strike, implying dominantly horizontal mantle flow in the ENE-WSW direction within vertical planes, that is, subparallel to the paleo-Iberian margin. The measured anisotropy could thus reflect a lithospheric fabric due to strike-slip deformation in the late Miocene in the context of WSW tearing of the subducted south Iberian margin

  4. Peridotitic lithosphere metasomatised by volatile-bearing melts, and its association with intraplate alkaline HIMU-like magmatism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scott, James; Brenna, Marco; Crase, Jordan

    2016-01-01

    The role of lithospheric mantle metasomatized by CO2-bearing melts in the genesis of HIMU-like alkaline intraplate basalts is investigated using a suite of peridotite xenoliths from New Zealand. The xenoliths have Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr =0.7029, eNd = +5 to +6, 206Pb/204Pb = ...

  5. The Earth’s mantle before convection: Effects of magma oceans and the Moon (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elkins-Tanton, L. T.; Smrekar, S. E.; Tobie, G.

    2009-12-01

    thick solid lid and diminished the likelihood of mantle remixing. Second, on an Earth-sized planet a magma ocean would solidify to produce very dense near-surface solids that also contain the bulk of the water held in the solid state, and the bulk of the incompatible elements. During gravitationally-driven overturn shallow, dense, damp solids carry their water as they sink into the perovskite stability zone and transform the bulk of their mineralogy into perovskite. The last solids that form near the surface exceed the likely water saturation levels of perovskite and will be forced to dewater as they cross the boundary into the lower mantle, leaving water behind in a rapid flux as the dense material sinks. This event will form a kind of “water catastrophe,” and would have the potential to partially melt the upper mantle, to produce a damp asthensosphere, and indeed to encourage convection. These results imply that planets in which perovskite is stable, that is, planets that are larger than Mars, are perhaps more likely to have an early initiation of plate tectonics, and that larger planets may have more violent and near-surface mantle volatile releases during any overturn event.

  6. Dehydration of chlorite explains anomalously high electrical conductivity in the mantle wedges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manthilake, Geeth; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie; Novella, Davide; Mookherjee, Mainak; Andrault, Denis

    2016-05-01

    Mantle wedge regions in subduction zone settings show anomalously high electrical conductivity (~1 S/m) that has often been attributed to the presence of aqueous fluids released by slab dehydration. Laboratory-based measurements of the electrical conductivity of hydrous phases and aqueous fluids are significantly lower and cannot readily explain the geophysically observed anomalously high electrical conductivity. The released aqueous fluid also rehydrates the mantle wedge and stabilizes a suite of hydrous phases, including serpentine and chlorite. In this present study, we have measured the electrical conductivity of a natural chlorite at pressures and temperatures relevant for the subduction zone setting. In our experiment, we observe two distinct conductivity enhancements when chlorite is heated to temperatures beyond its thermodynamic stability field. The initial increase in electrical conductivity to ~3 × 10(-3) S/m can be attributed to chlorite dehydration and the release of aqueous fluids. This is followed by a unique, subsequent enhancement of electrical conductivity of up to 7 × 10(-1) S/m. This is related to the growth of an interconnected network of a highly conductive and chemically impure magnetite mineral phase. Thus, the dehydration of chlorite and associated processes are likely to be crucial in explaining the anomalously high electrical conductivity observed in mantle wedges. Chlorite dehydration in the mantle wedge provides an additional source of aqueous fluid above the slab and could also be responsible for the fixed depth (120 ± 40 km) of melting at the top of the subducting slab beneath the subduction-related volcanic arc front.

  7. Melt density and the average composition of basalt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolper, E.; Walker, D.

    1980-01-01

    Densities of residual liquids produced by low pressure fractionation of olivine-rich melts pass through a minimum when pyroxene and plagioclase joint the crystallization sequence. The observation that erupted basalt compositions cluster around the degree of fractionation from picritic liquids corresponding to the density minimum in the liquid line of descent may thus suggest that the earth's crust imposes a density fiber on the liquids that pass through it, favoring the eruption of the light liquids at the density minimum over the eruption of denser more fractionated and less fractionated liquids.

  8. Lower crustal strength controls on melting and type of oceanization at magma-poor margins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ros, E.; Perez-Gussinye, M.; Araujo, M. N.; Thoaldo Romeiro, M.; Andres-Martinez, M.; Morgan, J. P.

    2017-12-01

    Geodynamical models have been widely used to explain the variability in the architectonical style of conjugate rifted margins as a combination of lithospheric deformation modes, which are strongly influenced by lower crustal strength. We use 2D numerical models to show that the lower crustal strength also plays a key role on the onset and amount of melting and serpentinization during continental rifting. The relative timing between melting and serpentinization onsets controls whether the continent-ocean transition (COT) of margins will be predominantly magmatic or will mainly consist of exhumed and serpentinized mantle. Based on our results for magma-poor continental rifting, we propose a genetic link between margin architecture and COT styles that can be used as an additional tool to help interpret and understand the processes leading to margin formation. Our results show that strong lower crusts and very slow extension velocities (architecture of the magma-poor section of the South Atlantic, we suggest that the COT of the northern sector, Camamu-Gabon basins, is more likely to consist of exhumed mantle with intruded magmatism, while to the South, the Camamu-Kwanza and North Santos-South Kwanza conjugates, may be better characterized by a predominantly magmatic COT.

  9. Plasma arc melting treatment of low level radioactive waste with centrifugal hearth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuji, Yukito

    1997-01-01

    Plasma Arc Melting technology may possible be able to treat various kinds of waste streams through volume reduction and stabilization into a disposal waste form. The ability of other melting technologies to convert inorganic material in a single step, however, varies according to the characteristics of the materials. Plasma technology also can treat organic waste by selecting the oxidation atmosphere. The Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) has decided to construct a low level radioactive waste treatment facility using the Plasma Arc Centrifugal Treatment (PACT) process with an 8 ft rotating hearth and 1.2 MW transferred torch developed by Retech (Ukiah, CA. USA) in the Tsuruga power station. In Japan, the plasma technology has been developed for incineration ash treatment, but the JAPC plant will be the first treatment system using plasma technology for solid waste with various characteristics and shapes. (author)

  10. Source and tectonic implications of tonalite-trondhjemite magmatism in the Klamath Mountains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, C.G.; Petersen, S.W.; Kistler, R.W.; Murray, R.; Kays, M.A.

    1996-01-01

    In the Klamath Mountains, voluminous tonalite-trondhjemite magmatism was characteristic of a short period of time from about 144 to 136 Ma (Early Cretaceous). It occurred about 5 to l0 m.y. after the ??? 165 to 159 Ma Josephine ophiolite was thrust beneath older parts of the province during the Nevadan orogeny (thrusting from ??? 155 to 148 Ma). The magmatism also corresponds to a period of slow or no subduction. Most of the plutons crop out in the south-central Klamath Mountains in California, but one occurs in Oregon at the northern end of the province. Compositionally extended members of the suite consist of precursor gabbroic to dioritic rocks followed by later, more voluminous tonalitic and trondhjemitic intrusions. Most plutons consist almost entirely of tonalite and trondhjemite. Poorlydefined concentric zoning is common. Tonalitic rocks are typically of the Iow-Al type but trondhjemites are generally of the high-Al type, even those that occur in the same pluton as low-Al tonalite??. The suite is characterized by low abundances of K2O, Rb, Zr, and heavy rare earth elements. Sr contents are generally moderate ( ???450 ppm) by comparison with Sr-rich arc lavas interpreted to be slab melts (up to 2000 ppm). Initial 87Sr/ 86Sr, ??18O, and ??Nd are typical of mantle-derived magmas or of crustally-derived magmas with a metabasic source. Compositional variation within plutons can be modeled by variable degrees of partial melting of a heterogeneous metabasaltic source (transitional mid-ocean ridge to island arc basalt), but not by fractional crystallyzation of a basaltic parent. Melting models require a residual assemblage of clinopyroxene+garnet??plagioclase??amphibole; residual plagioclase suggests a deep crustal origin rather than melting of a subducted slab. Such models are consistent with the metabasic part of the Josephine ophiolite as the source. Because the Josephine ophiolite was at low T during Nevadan thrusting, an external heat source was probably

  11. Mantle to surface degassing of carbon- and sulphur-rich alkaline magma at El Hierro, Canary Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longpré, Marc-Antoine; Stix, John; Klügel, Andreas; Shimizu, Nobumichi

    2017-02-01

    Basaltic volcanoes transfer volatiles from the mantle to the surface of the Earth. The quantification of deep volatile fluxes relies heavily on estimates of the volatile content of primitive magmas, the best archive of which is provided by melt inclusions. Available data from volcanoes producing mafic alkaline lavas in a range of tectonic settings suggest high volatile fluxes, but information remains sparse, particularly for intraplate ocean islands. Here we present measurements of volatile and trace element concentrations, as well as sulphur speciation, in olivine-hosted melt inclusions and matrix glasses from quenched basanite lava balloon samples from the 2011-2012 submarine eruption at El Hierro, Canary Islands. The results reveal remarkably high concentrations of dissolved volatiles and incompatible trace elements in this magma, with ∼80 ppm Nb and up to 3420 ppm CO2, 3.0 wt.% H2O and 5080 ppm S. Reconstructed primitive CO2 contents, considering CO2/Nb systematics and possible CO2 sequestration in shrinkage bubbles, reach weight percent levels, indicating that carbon is a major constituent of Canary Island magmas at depth and that exsolution of a CO2-rich fluid begins in the mantle at pressures in excess of 1 GPa. Correlations between sulphur concentration, sulphur speciation and water content suggest strong reduction of an initially oxidised mantle magma, likely controlled by coupled H2O and S degassing. This late-stage redox change may have triggered sulphide saturation, recorded by globular sulphide inclusions in clinopyroxene and ulvöspinel. The El Hierro basanite thus had a particularly high volatile-carrying capacity and released a minimum of 1.3-2.1 Tg CO2 and 1.8-2.9 Tg S to the environment, causing substantial stress on the local submarine ecosystem. These results highlight the important contribution of alkaline ocean island volcanoes, such as the Canary Islands, to volatile fluxes from the mantle.

  12. Composition and origin of rhyolite melt intersected by drilling in the Krafla geothermal field, Iceland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zierenberg, R.A.; Schiffman, P.; Barfod, G.H.; Lesher, C.E.; Marks, N.E.; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Mortensen, A.K.; Pope, E.C.; Bird, D.K.; Reed, M.H.; Friðleifsson, G.O.; Elders, W.A.

    2013-01-01

    The Iceland Deep Drilling Project Well 1 was designed as a 4- to 5-km-deep exploration well with the goal of intercepting supercritical hydrothermal fluids in the Krafla geothermal field, Iceland. The well unexpectedly drilled into a high-silica (76.5 % SiO2) rhyolite melt at approximately 2.1 km. Some of the melt vesiculated while extruding into the drill hole, but most of the recovered cuttings are quenched sparsely phyric, vesicle-poor glass. The phenocryst assemblage is comprised of titanomagnetite, plagioclase, augite, and pigeonite. Compositional zoning in plagioclase and exsolution lamellae in augite and pigeonite record changing crystallization conditions as the melt migrated to its present depth of emplacement. The in situ temperature of the melt is estimated to be between 850 and 920 °C based on two-pyroxene geothermometry and modeling of the crystallization sequence. Volatile content of the glass indicated partial degassing at an in situ pressure that is above hydrostatic (~16 MPa) and below lithostatic (~55 MPa). The major element and minor element composition of the melt are consistent with an origin by partial melting of hydrothermally altered basaltic crust at depth, similar to rhyolite erupted within the Krafla Caldera. Chondrite-normalized REE concentrations show strong light REE enrichment and relative flat patterns with negative Eu anomaly. Strontium isotope values (0.70328) are consistent with mantle-derived melt, but oxygen and hydrogen isotope values are depleted (3.1 and −118 ‰, respectively) relative to mantle values. The hydrogen isotope values overlap those of hydrothermal epidote from rocks altered by the meteoric-water-recharged Krafla geothermal system. The rhyolite melt was emplaced into and has reacted with a felsic intrusive suite that has nearly identical composition. The felsite is composed of quartz, alkali feldspar, plagioclase, titanomagnetite, and augite. Emplacement of the rhyolite magma has resulted in partial melting of

  13. Lattice stability and high-pressure melting mechanism of dense hydrogen up to 1.5 TPa

    KAUST Repository

    Geng, Hua Y.

    2015-09-01

    © 2015 American Physical Society. Lattice stability and metastability, as well as melting, are important features of the physics and chemistry of dense hydrogen. Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), the classical superheating limit and melting line of metallic hydrogen are investigated up to 1.5 TPa. The computations show that the classical superheating degree is about 100 K, and the classical melting curve becomes flat at a level of 350 K when beyond 500 GPa. This information allows us to estimate the well depth and the potential barriers that must be overcome when the crystal melts. Inclusion of nuclear quantum effects (NQE) using path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) predicts that both superheating limit and melting temperature are lowered to below room temperature, but the latter never reaches absolute zero. Detailed analysis indicates that the melting is thermally activated, rather than driven by pure zero-point motion (ZPM). This argument was further supported by extensive PIMD simulations, demonstrating the stability of Fddd structure against liquefaction at low temperatures.

  14. Mutual interaction between high and low stereo-regularity components for crystallization and melting behaviors of polypropylene blend fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawai, Kouya; Kohri, Youhei; Takarada, Wataru; Takebe, Tomoaki; Kanai, Toshitaka; Kikutani, Takeshi

    2016-03-01

    Crystallization and melting behaviors of blend fibers of two types of polypropylene (PP), i.e. high stereo-regularity/high molecular weight PP (HPP) and low stereo-regularity/low molecular weight PP (LPP), was investigated. Blend fibers consisting of various HPP/LPP compositions were prepared through the melt spinning process. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis were applied for clarifying the crystallization and melting behaviors of individual components. In the DSC measurement of blend fibers with high LPP composition, continuous endothermic heat was detected between the melting peaks of LPP at around 40 °C and that of HPP at around 160 °C. Such endothermic heat was more distinct for the blend fibers with higher LPP composition indicating that the melting of LPP in the heating process was hindered because of the presence of HPP crystals. On the other hand, heat of crystallization was detected at around 90 °C in the case of blend fibers with LPP content of 30 to 70 wt%, indicating that the crystallization of HPP component was taking place during the heating of as-spun blend fibers in the DSC measurement. Through the TMDSC analysis, re-organization of the crystalline structure through the simultaneous melting and re-crystallization was detected in the cases of HPP and blend fibers, whereas re-crystallization was not detected during the melting of LPP fibers. In the WAXD analysis during the heating of fibers, amount of a-form crystal was almost constant up to the melting in the case of single component HPP fibers, whereas there was a distinct increase of the intensity of crystalline reflections from around 100 °C, right after the melting of LPP in the case of blend fibers. These results suggested that the crystallization of HPP in the spinning process as well as during the conditioning process after spinning was hindered by the presence of LPP.

  15. Mutual interaction between high and low stereo-regularity components for crystallization and melting behaviors of polypropylene blend fibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawai, Kouya; Takarada, Wataru; Kikutani, Takeshi; Kohri, Youhei; Takebe, Tomoaki; Kanai, Toshitaka

    2016-01-01

    Crystallization and melting behaviors of blend fibers of two types of polypropylene (PP), i.e. high stereo-regularity/high molecular weight PP (HPP) and low stereo-regularity/low molecular weight PP (LPP), was investigated. Blend fibers consisting of various HPP/LPP compositions were prepared through the melt spinning process. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis were applied for clarifying the crystallization and melting behaviors of individual components. In the DSC measurement of blend fibers with high LPP composition, continuous endothermic heat was detected between the melting peaks of LPP at around 40 °C and that of HPP at around 160 °C. Such endothermic heat was more distinct for the blend fibers with higher LPP composition indicating that the melting of LPP in the heating process was hindered because of the presence of HPP crystals. On the other hand, heat of crystallization was detected at around 90 °C in the case of blend fibers with LPP content of 30 to 70 wt%, indicating that the crystallization of HPP component was taking place during the heating of as-spun blend fibers in the DSC measurement. Through the TMDSC analysis, re-organization of the crystalline structure through the simultaneous melting and re-crystallization was detected in the cases of HPP and blend fibers, whereas re-crystallization was not detected during the melting of LPP fibers. In the WAXD analysis during the heating of fibers, amount of a-form crystal was almost constant up to the melting in the case of single component HPP fibers, whereas there was a distinct increase of the intensity of crystalline reflections from around 100 °C, right after the melting of LPP in the case of blend fibers. These results suggested that the crystallization of HPP in the spinning process as well as during the conditioning process after spinning was hindered by the presence of LPP.

  16. Mutual interaction between high and low stereo-regularity components for crystallization and melting behaviors of polypropylene blend fibers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kawai, Kouya; Takarada, Wataru; Kikutani, Takeshi, E-mail: kikutani.t.aa@m.titech.ac.jp [Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552 (Japan); Kohri, Youhei; Takebe, Tomoaki [Performance Materials Laboratories, Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. (Japan); Kanai, Toshitaka [KT Polymer (Japan)

    2016-03-09

    Crystallization and melting behaviors of blend fibers of two types of polypropylene (PP), i.e. high stereo-regularity/high molecular weight PP (HPP) and low stereo-regularity/low molecular weight PP (LPP), was investigated. Blend fibers consisting of various HPP/LPP compositions were prepared through the melt spinning process. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis were applied for clarifying the crystallization and melting behaviors of individual components. In the DSC measurement of blend fibers with high LPP composition, continuous endothermic heat was detected between the melting peaks of LPP at around 40 °C and that of HPP at around 160 °C. Such endothermic heat was more distinct for the blend fibers with higher LPP composition indicating that the melting of LPP in the heating process was hindered because of the presence of HPP crystals. On the other hand, heat of crystallization was detected at around 90 °C in the case of blend fibers with LPP content of 30 to 70 wt%, indicating that the crystallization of HPP component was taking place during the heating of as-spun blend fibers in the DSC measurement. Through the TMDSC analysis, re-organization of the crystalline structure through the simultaneous melting and re-crystallization was detected in the cases of HPP and blend fibers, whereas re-crystallization was not detected during the melting of LPP fibers. In the WAXD analysis during the heating of fibers, amount of a-form crystal was almost constant up to the melting in the case of single component HPP fibers, whereas there was a distinct increase of the intensity of crystalline reflections from around 100 °C, right after the melting of LPP in the case of blend fibers. These results suggested that the crystallization of HPP in the spinning process as well as during the conditioning process after spinning was hindered by the presence of LPP.

  17. The signal of mantle anisotropy in the coupling of normal modes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beghein, Caroline; Resovsky, Joseph; van der Hilst, Robert D.

    2008-12-01

    We investigate whether the coupling of normal mode (NM) multiplets can help us constrain mantle anisotropy. We first derive explicit expressions of the generalized structure coefficients of coupled modes in terms of elastic coefficients, including the Love parameters describing radial anisotropy and the parameters describing azimuthal anisotropy (Jc, Js, Kc, Ks, Mc, Ms, Bc, Bs, Gc, Gs, Ec, Es, Hc, Hs, Dc and Ds). We detail the selection rules that describe which modes can couple together and which elastic parameters govern their coupling. We then focus on modes of type 0Sl - 0Tl+1 and determine whether they can be used to constrain mantle anisotropy. We show that they are sensitive to six elastic parameters describing azimuthal anisotropy, in addition to the two shear-wave elastic parameters L and N (i.e. VSV and VSH). We find that neither isotropic nor radially anisotropic mantle models can fully explain the observed degree two signal. We show that the NM signal that remains after correction for the effect of the crust and mantle radial anisotropy can be explained by the presence of azimuthal anisotropy in the upper mantle. Although the data favour locating azimuthal anisotropy below 400km, its depth extent and distribution is still not well constrained by the data. Consideration of NM coupling can thus help constrain azimuthal anisotropy in the mantle, but joint analyses with surface-wave phase velocities is needed to reduce the parameter trade-offs and improve our constraints on the individual elastic parameters and the depth location of the azimuthal anisotropy.

  18. Compositionally heterogeneous podiform chromitite in the Shetland Ophiolite Complex (Scotland): Implications for chromitite petrogenesis and late-stage alteration in the upper mantle portion of a supra-subduction zone ophiolite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derbyshire, E. J.; O'Driscoll, B.; Lenaz, D.; Gertisser, R.; Kronz, A.

    2013-03-01

    The mantle sequence of the ~ 492 Ma Shetland Ophiolite Complex (SOC; Scotland) contains abundant compositionally heterogeneous podiform chromitite bodies enclosed in elongate dunite lenses in the vicinity of the petrological Moho. Chromitite petrogenesis and late-stage alteration events recorded in these seams are examined here using petrography, mineral chemistry and crystal structural data. The resistant nature of Cr-spinel to serpentinisation and other late-stage alteration means that primary igneous compositions are preserved in unaltered crystal cores. Chromitite mineralogy and texture from five sampled localities at The Viels, Hagdale, Harold's Grave, Nikka Vord and Cliff reveal significant inter-pod chemical heterogeneity. The Cr-spinel mineral chemistry is consistent with supra-subduction zone melt extraction from the SOC peridotites. The occurrence of chromitite seams in the centres of the dunite lenses combined with variable Cr-spinel compositions at different chromitite seam localities supports a model of chromitite formation from spatially (and temporally?) fluctuating amounts of melt-rock interaction through channelised and/or porous melt flow. Pervasive serpentinisation of the SOC has led to the almost complete replacement of the primary (mantle) silicate mineral assemblages with serpentine (lizardite with minor chrysotile and antigorite). Magmatic sulphide (e.g., pentlandite) in dunite and chromitite is locally converted to reduced Ni-sulphide varieties (e.g., heazlewoodite and millerite). A post-serpentinisation (prograde) oxidisation event is recorded in the extensively altered Cliff chromitite seams in the west of the studied area, where chromitite Cr-spinel is extensively altered to ferritchromit. The ferritchromit may comprise > 50% of the volume of the Cliff Cr-spinels and contain appreciable quantities of 1-2 μm inclusions of sperrylite (PtAs2) and Ni-arsenide, signifying the coeval formation of these minerals with ferritchromit at

  19. The Cameroon line, West Africa, and its bearing on the origin of oceanic and continental alkali basalt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fitton, J.G.

    1985-01-01

    The Cameroon line is a unique within-plate volcanic province which straddles a continental margin. It consists of a chain of Tertiary to Recent, generally alkaline volcanoes stretching from the Atlantic island of Pagalu to the interior of the African continent. It provides, therefore, an ideal area in which to compare the sub-oceanic and sub-continental mantle sources for alkali basalt. Basaltic rocks in the oceanic and continental sectors are geochemically and isotopically indistinguishable which suggests that they have identical mantle sources. This conclusion rules out substantial lithosphere involvement in the generation of alkali basalts and therefore weakens the case for mantle metasomatism as a necessary precursor to alkaline magmatism. The convecting upper mantle is a much more likely source as it will be well-stirred and unlikely to show any ocean-continent differences. The long history of Cameroon line magmatism (65 Ma) and lack of evidence for migration of volcanism with time makes a deeper mantle source unlikely. Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) also originate within the convecting upper mantle and so must share a common source with the Cameroon line alkali basalts (and, by implication, ocean island and continental rift basalts). A grossly homogeneous mantle with a bulk composition depleted in large-ion lithophile elements (LILE), but containing streaks of old, LILE-enriched material, provides a plausible common source. Large degree, near-surface melting of such a source would produce MORB. Smaller degree melts produced at deeper levels would percolate upwards along grain boundaries and become enriched in LILE by leaching LILE-rich grain boundary films. The mixing of these liquids with melts from the LILE-rich streaks will produce magmas with the geochemical and isotopic features of ocean island basalts. (orig.)

  20. Novel powder/solid composites possessing low Young’s modulus and tunable energy absorption capacity, fabricated by electron beam melting, for biomedical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeo, Naoko; Ishimoto, Takuya; Nakano, Takayoshi

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We fabricated novel porous composites by electron beam melting. • The composites consist of necked powder and melted solid framework. • Unmelted powder that is usually discarded was mechanically functionalized by necking. • The composites possess controllably low Young’s modulus and excellent toughness. • The composites would be promising for utilization in biomedical applications. - Abstract: A novel, hierarchical, porous composite from a single material composed of necked powder and melted solid, with tunable mechanical properties, is fabricated by electron beam melting and subsequent heat treatment. The composite demonstrates low Young’s modulus (⩽31 GPa) and excellent energy absorption capacity, both of which are necessary for use in orthopedic applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the synthesis of a material combining controllably low Young’s modulus and excellent toughness