Geochemical Relationships between Middle- to Upper-Crustal Exposures of the Alisitos Oceanic Arc (Baja California, Mexico): An Outstanding Field Analog to Active Extensional Oceanic Arcs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, R.; DeBari, S. M.; Busby, C.; Medynski, S.

2016-12-01

The southern volcano-bounded basin of the Rosario segment of the Cretaceous Alisitos oceanic arc provides outstanding 3-D exposures of an extensional arc, where crustal generation processes are recorded in the upper-crustal volcanic units and underlying middle-crustal plutonic rocks. Geochemical linkages between exposed crustal levels provide an analog for extensional arc systems such as the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) Arc. Upper-crustal units comprise a 3-5 km thick volcanic-volcaniclastic stratigraphy with hypabyssal intrusions. Deep-seated plutonic rocks intrude these units over a transition of <500m, where rafted volcanic blocks and evidence of magma mingling are exposed. Thermobarometry suggests <6 km emplacement depths. Compositional ranges (basalt to rhyolite) and mineral assemblages are similar in both middle-crustal and upper-crustal units, with striking compositional overlap. The most mafic compositions occur in upper-crustal hypabyssal units, and as amphibole cumulates in the plutonic rocks ( 51% SiO2). The most felsic compositions occur in welded ignimbrites and a tonalite pluton ( 71% SiO2). All units are low K with flat REE patterns, and show LILE enrichment and HFSE depletion. Trace element ratios show limited variation throughout the crustal section. Zr/Y and Nb/Y ratios are similar to the Izu active ( 3 Ma to present) zone of extension immediately behind the arc front, suggesting comparable mantle melt % during extension. Th/Zr ratios are more enriched in Alisitos compared to Izu, suggesting greater subducted sediment input. The Alisitos crustal section shows a limited range in ɛNd (5.7-7.1), but a wider range in 87Sr/86Sr (0.7035-0.7055) and 206Pb/204Pb (18.12-19.12); the latter is likely alteration effects. Arc magmas were derived from a subduction-modified MORB mantle source, less depleted than Izu arc front and less enriched than the rear arc, but is a good match with the zone of extension that lies between. Differentiation occurred in a closed system (i.e., fractional crystallization/self-melting with back mixing), producing the entire crustal section in <3 Ma.

The Jeffers Brook diorite-granodiorite pluton: style of emplacement and role of volatiles at various crustal levels in Avalonian appinites, Canadian Appalachians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pe-Piper, Georgia; Piper, David J. W.

2018-04-01

Small appinite plutons ca. 610 Ma outcrop in the peri-Gondwanan Avalon terrane of northern Nova Scotia, with different structural levels exposed. Field mapping shows that the Jeffers Brook pluton is a laccolith emplaced along an upper crustal thrust zone, likely in a dilational jog in a regional dextral strike-slip system. The oldest rocks are probably mafic sills, which heated the area facilitating emplacement of intermediate magmas. Cross-cutting relationships show that both mafic and intermediate magmas were supplied throughout the history of pluton emplacement. The modal composition, mineral chemistry, and bulk chemistry of gabbro, diorite, tonalite, granodiorite, and granite have been studied in the main plutonic phases, dykes, and sills, and mafic microgranular enclaves. As with the type appinites in the Scottish Caledonides, the pluton shows evidence of high water content: the dominance of hornblende, locally within pegmatitic texture; vesicles and irregular felsic patches in enclaves; and late aplite dykes. Analyzed mafic microgranular enclaves are geochemically similar to larger diorite bodies in the pluton. Tonalite-granodiorite is distinct from the diorite in trace-element geochemistry and radiogenic isotopes. Elsewhere to the east, similar rocks of the same age form vertically sheeted complexes in major shear zones; hornblende chemistry shows that they were emplaced at a deeper upper crustal level. This implies that little of the observed geochemical variability in the Jeffers Brook pluton was developed within the pluton. The general requirements to form appinites are proposed to be small magma volumes of subduction-related magmas that reach the upper crust because of continual heating by mafic magmas moving through strike-slip fault pathways and trapping of aqueous fluids rather than venting through volcanic activity.

Recycling of lower continental crust through foundering of cumulates from contaminated mafic intrusions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arndt, Nicholas T.; Goldstein, Steven L.

1988-01-01

A mechanism is presented for recycling of lower continental material back into the mantle. Picritic magmas, possible parental to volumious continental volcanics such as the Karoo and Deccan, became trapped at the Moho, where they interacted with and become contaminated by lower crustal materials. Upon crystallization, the magmas differentiated into lower ultramafic cumulate zones and upper gabbroic-anorthositic zones. The ultramafic cumulates are denser than underlying mantle and sink, carrying lower crustal components as trapped liquid, as xenoliths or rafts, and as constituents of cumulate minerals. This model provides a potentially significant crust-mantle differentiation mechanism, and may also represent a contributing factor in crustal recycling, possibly important in producing some OIB reservoirs.

Formation of continental crust in a temporally linked arc magma system from 5 to 30 km depth: ~ 90 Ma plutonism in the Cascades Crystalline Core composite arc section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratschbacher, B. C.; Miller, J. S.; Kent, A. J.; Miller, R. B.; Anderson, J. L.; Paterson, S. R.

2015-12-01

Continental crust has an andesitic bulk composition with a mafic lower crust and a granodioritic upper crust. The formation of stratified continental crust in general and the vertical extent of processes active in arc crustal columns leading to the differentiation of primitive, mantle-derived melts entering the lower crust are highly debated. To investigate where in the crustal column magma mixing, fractionation, assimilation and crystal growth occur and to what extent, we study the ~ 90 Ma magmatic flare-up event of the Cascades arc, a magma plumbing system from ~ 5 to 30 km depth. We focus on three intrusive complexes, emplaced at different depths during major regional shortening in an exceptionally thick crust (≥ 55 km1) but which are temporally related: the upper crustal Black Peak intrusion (1-3 kbar at 3.7 to 11 km; ~ 86.8 to 91.7 Ma2), the mid-crustal Mt. Stuart intrusion (3.5-4.0 kbar at 13 to 15 km; 90.8 and 96.3 Ma3) and the deep crustal Tenpeak intrusion (7 to 10 kbar at 25 to 37 km; 89.7 to 92.3 Ma4). These intrusive complexes are well characterized by geochronology showing that they have been constructed incrementally by multiple magma batches over their lifespans and thus allow the monitoring and comparison of geochemical parameters over time at different depths. We use a combination of whole rock major and trace element data and isotopes combined with detailed investigation of amphibole, which has been recognized to be important in the generation of calc-alkaline rocks in arcs to test the following hypotheses: (a) compositional bimodality is produced in the lower crust, whereas upper crustal levels are dominated by mixing to form intermediate compositions, or (b) differentiation occurs throughout the crustal column with different crystallizing phases and their compositions controlling the bulk chemistry. 1. Miller et al. 2009: GSA Special Paper 456, p. 125-149 2. Shea 2014: PhD thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3. Anderson et al. 2012: International Geology Review, v. 54, no. 5, p. 491-508 4. Matzel et al. 2006: GSA Bulletin, v. 118, no. 11-12, p. 1412-1430

The influence of regional extensional tectonic stress on the eruptive behaviour of subduction-zone volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tost, M.; Cronin, S. J.

2015-12-01

Regional tectonic stress is considered a trigger mechanism for explosive volcanic activity, but the related mechanisms at depth are not well understood. The unique geological setting of Ruapehu, New Zealand, allows investigation on the effect of enhanced regional extensional crustal tension on the eruptive behaviour of subduction-zone volcanoes. The composite cone is located at the southwestern terminus of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, one of the most active silicic magma systems on Earth, which extends through the central part of New Zealand's North Island. Rhyolitic caldera eruptions are limited to its central part where crustal extension is highest, whereas lower extension and additional dextral shear dominate in the southwestern and northeastern segments characterized by andesitic volcanism. South of Ruapehu, the intra-arc rift zone traverses into a compressional geological setting with updoming marine sequences dissected by reverse and normal faults. The current eruptive behaviour of Ruapehu is dominated by small-scaled vulcanian eruptions, but our studies indicate that subplinian to plinian eruptions have frequently occurred since ≥340 ka and were usually preceded by major rhyolitic caldera unrest in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Pre-existing structures related to the NNW-SSE trending subduction-zone setting are thought to extend at depth and create preferred pathways for the silicic magma bodies, which may facilitate the development of large (>100 km3) dyke-like upper-crustal storage systems prior to major caldera activity. This may cause enhanced extensional stress throughout the entire intra-arc setting, including the Ruapehu area. During periods of caldera dormancy, the thick crust underlying the volcano and the enhanced dextral share rate likely impede ascent of larger andesitic magma bodies, and storage of andesitic melts dominantly occurs within small-scaled magma bodies at middle- to lower-crustal levels. During episodes of major caldera unrest, ascent and storage of voluminous rhyolitic magma bodies at upper crustal levels may cause the extensional stress to supercede the dextral shear rate in the Ruapehu area, facilitating ascent of larger andesitic magma bodies at depth, and changing the volcano's eruptive behaviour from dominantly vulcanian to violently subplinian/plinian.

Continuous Spectrum of Crustal Structures and Spreading Processes from Volcanic Rifted Margins to Mid-Ocean Ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.

2016-12-01

Structures generated by seafloor spreading in oceanic crust (and ophiolites) and thick oceanic crust of Iceland show a continuous spectrum of features that formed by similar mechanisms but at different scales. A high magma budget near the Iceland hotspot generates thick (40-25 km) mafic crust in a plate boundary zone about 50 km wide. The upper crust ( 10 km thick) is constructed by the subaxial subsidence and thickening of lavas fed by dense dike swarms over a hot, weak lower crust to produce structures analogous to seaward-dipping reflectors of volcanic rifted margins. Segmented rift zones propagate away from the hotspot creating migrating transform fault zones, microplate-like crustal blocks and rift-parallel strike-slip faults. These structures are decoupled from the underlying lower crustal gabbroic rocks that thin by along-axis flow that reduces the overall crustal thickness and smooths-out local crustal thickness variations. Spreading on mid-ocean ridges with high magma budgets have much thinner crust (10-5 km) generated at a much narrower (few km) plate boundary zone. Subaxial subsidence accommodates the thickening of the upper crust of inward-dipping lavas and outward-dipping dikes about 1-2 km thick over a hot weak lower crust. Along-axis (high-temperature ductile and magmatic) flow of lower crustal material may help account for the relatively uniform seismic thickness of oceanic crust worldwide. Spreading along even slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges near hotspots (e.g., the Reykjanes Ridge) probably have similar features that are transitional between these extremes. In all of these settings, upper crustal and lower crustal structures are decoupled near the plate boundary but eventually welded together as the crust ages and cools. Similar processes are likely to occur along volcanic rifted margins as spreading begins.

The origin and nature of thermal evolution during Granite emplacement and differentiation and its influence on upper crustal dynamics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchwaldt, R.; Toulkeridis, T.; Todt, W.

2014-12-01

Structural geological, geochemical and geochronological data were compiled with the purpose to exercise models for the construction of upper crustal batholith. Models for pulsed intrusion of small magma batches over long timescales versus transfer of larger magma bodies on a shorter time scales are able to predict a different thermal, metamorphic, and rheological state of the crust. For this purpose we have applied the chronostratigraphic framework for magma differentiation on three granite complexes namely the St. Francois Mountain granite pluton (Precambrian), the Galway granite (Cambrian), and the Sithonia Plutonic Complex (Eocene). These plutons have similar sizes and range in composition from quartz diorites through granodiorites and granites to alkali granites, indicating multiple intrusive episodes. Thermobarometric calculations imply an upper crustal emplacement. Geochemical, isotopic and petrological data indicate a variety of pulses from each pluton allowing to be related through their liquid line of decent, which is supported by fractional crystallization of predominantly plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite, hornblende and some minor accessory mineral phases, magma mingling and mixing as well as crustal contamination. To obtain the temporal relationship we carried out high-precision CA-TIMS zircon geochronology on selected samples along the liquid line of decent. The obtained data indicate a wide range of rates: such as different pulses evolved on timescales of about only 10-30ka, although, the construction time of the different complexes ranges from millions of years with prolonged tectonically inactive phases to relatively short lived time ranges of about ~300 ka. For a better understanding how these new data were used and evaluated in order to reconstruct constraints on the dynamics of the magmatic plumbing system, we integrated the short-lived, elevated heat production, due to latent heat of crystallization, into a 2D numerical model of the thermal evolution of segments of continental crust. Our model indicates that during the stage of enhanced fractional crystallization, the crustal viscosity decreases by several orders of magnitude, playing hereby a fundamental role in the thermal, magmatic, and tectonic evolution of the studied areas and most probably in similar regions too.

Anatexis, hybridization and the modification of ancient crust: Mesozoic plutonism in the Old Woman Mountains area, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, C.F.; Wooden, J.L.

1994-01-01

A compositionally expanded array of granitic (s.l.) magmas intruded the > 2 Ga crust of the Old Woman Mountains area between 160 and 70 Ma. These magmas were emplaced near the eastern (inland) edge of the Jurassic/Cretaceous arcs of western North America, in an area where magma flux, especially during the Jurassic, was considerably lower than to the west. The Jurassic intrusives and over half of the Cretaceous intrusives are predominantly metaluminous and variable in composition; a major Cretaceous suite comprises only peraluminous monzogranite. Only the Jurassic intrusions show clear evidence for the presence of mafic liquids. All units, including the most mafic rocks, reveal isotopic evidence for a significant crustal component. However, none of the Mesozoic intrusives matches in isotopic composition either average pre-intrusion crust or any major unit of the exposed crust. Elemental inconsistencies also preclude closed system derivation from exposed crust. Emplacement of these magmas, which doubled the volume of the mid- to upper crust, did not dramatically change its elemental composition. It did, however, affect its Nd and especially Sr isotopic composition and modify some of the distinctive aspects of the elemental chemistry. We propose that Jurassic magmatism was open-system, with a major influx of mantle-derived mafic magma interacting strongly with the ancient crust. Mesozoic crustal thickening may have led to closed-system crustal melting by the Late Cretaceous, but the deep crust had been profoundly modified by earlier Mesozoic hybridization so that crustal melts did not simply reflect the original crustal composition. The clear evidence for a crustal component in magmas of the Old Woman Mountains area may not indicate any fundamental differences from the processes at work elsewhere in this or other magmatic arcs where the role of pre-existing crust is less certain. Rather, a compositionally distinctive, very old crust may simply have yielded a more readily identifiable crustal fingerprint. The same processes that were involved here-mafic magma influx, hybridization, and remelting of hybridized crust-are likely to be typical of arc settings. ?? 1994.

Constraints on the upper crustal magma reservoir beneath Yellowstone Caldera inferred from lake-seiche induced strain observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luttrell, Karen; Mencin, David; Francis, Oliver; Hurwitz, Shaul

2013-01-01

Seiche waves in Yellowstone Lake with a ~78-minute period and heights 11 Pa s. These strain observations and models provide independent evidence for the presence of partially molten material in the upper crust, consistent with seismic tomography studies that inferred 10%–30% melt fraction in the upper crust.

Fine crustal and uppermost mantle S-wave velocity structure beneath the Tengchong volcanic area inferred from receiver function and surface-wave dispersion: constraints on magma chamber distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Mengkui; Zhang, Shuangxi; Wu, Tengfei; Hua, Yujin; Zhang, Bo

2018-03-01

The Tengchong volcanic area is located in the southeastern margin of the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian Plates. It is one of the youngest intraplate volcano groups in mainland China. Imaging the S-wave velocity structure of the crustal and uppermost mantle beneath the Tengchong volcanic area is an important means of improving our understanding of its volcanic activity and seismicity. In this study, we analyze teleseismic data from nine broadband seismic stations in the Tengchong Earthquake Monitoring Network. We then image the crustal and uppermost mantle S-wave velocity structure by joint analysis of receiver functions and surface-wave dispersion. The results reveal widely distributed low-velocity zones. We find four possible magma chambers in the upper-to-middle crust and one in the uppermost mantle. The chamber in the uppermost mantle locates in the depth range from 55 to 70 km. The four magma chambers in the crust occur at different depths, ranging from the depth of 7 to 25 km in general. They may be the heat sources for the high geothermal activity at the surface. Based on the fine crustal and uppermost mantle S-wave velocity structure, we propose a model for the distribution of the magma chambers.

Petrographic, geochemical and isotopic evidence of crustal assimilation processes in the Ponte Nova alkaline mafic-ultramafic massif, SE Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzone, Rogério Guitarrari; Montecinos Munoz, Patricio; Enrich, Gaston Eduardo Rojas; Alves, Adriana; Ruberti, Excelso; Gomes, Celsode Barros

2016-09-01

Crustal assimilation plus crystal fractionation processes of different basanite magma batches control the evolution of the Ponte Nova cretaceous alkaline mafic-ultramafic massif in SE Brazil. This massif is composed of several intrusions, the main ones with a cumulate character. Disequilibrium features in the early-crystallized phases (e.g., corrosion and sieve textures in cores of clinopyroxene crystals, spongy-cellular-textured plagioclase crystals, gulf corrosion texture in olivine crystals) and classical hybridization textures (e.g., blade biotite and acicular apatite crystals) provide strong evidence of open-system behavior. All samples are olivine- and nepheline-normative rocks with basic-ultrabasic and potassic characters and variable incompatible element enrichments. The wide ranges of whole-rock 87Sr/86Sri and 143Nd/144Ndi ratios (0.70432-0.70641 and 0.512216-0.512555, respectively) are indicative of crustal contribution from the Precambrian basement host rocks. Plagioclase and apatite 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70422-0.70927) obtained for the most primitive samples of each intrusion indicate disequilibrium conditions from early- to principal-crystallization stages. Isotope mixing-model curves between the least contaminated alkaline basic magma and heterogeneous local crustal components indicate that each intrusion of the massif is differentiated from the others by varied degrees of crustal contribution. The primary mechanisms of crustal contribution to the Ponte Nova massif involve the assimilation of host rock xenoliths during the development of the chamber environment and the assimilation of partial melts from the surrounding host rocks. Thermodynamic models using the melts algorithm indicate that parental alkaline basic magmas can be strongly affected by contamination processes subsequently to their initial stages of crystallization when there is sufficient energy to assimilate partial melts of crustal host rocks. The assimilation processes are considered to be responsible for the increse in the K2O/Na2O, Ba/Sr and Rb/Sr ratios. This enrichment was associated with the relevant role of biotite breakdown in the assimilated host rock partial melts. The petrological model for the Ponte Nova massif is explained as repeated influxes of antecryst-laden basanite magmas that deposited most of their suspended crystals on the floor of the upper-crust magma chamber. Each intrusion is representative of relatively primitive olivine- and clinopyroxene-phyric basanites that had assimilated different degrees of partial melts of heterogeneous host rocks. This study reveals the relevant role of crustal assimilation processes in the magmatic evolution of nepheline-normative rocks, especially in upper-crust chamber environments.

Crustal structure in Tengchong Volcano-Geothermal Area, western Yunnan, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chun-Yong; Huangfu, Gang

2004-02-01

Based upon the deep seismic sounding profiles carried out in the Tengchong Volcano-Geothermal Area (TVGA), western Yunnan Province of China, a 2-D crustal P velocity structure is obtained by use of finite-difference inversion and forward travel-time fitting method. The crustal model shows that a low-velocity anomaly zone exists in the upper crust, which is related to geothermal activity. Two faults, the Longling-Ruili Fault and Tengchong Fault, on the profile extend from surface to the lower crust and the Tengchong Fault likely penetrates the Moho. Moreover, based on teleseismic receiver functions on a temporary seismic network, S-wave velocity structures beneath the geothermal field show low S-wave velocity in the upper crust. From results of geophysical survey, the crust of TVGA is characterized by low P-wave and S-wave velocities, low resistivity, high heat-flow value and low Q. The upper mantle P-wave velocity is also low. This suggests presence of magma in the crust derived from the upper mantle. The low-velocity anomaly in upper crust may be related to the magma differentiation. The Tengchong volcanic area is located on the northeast edge of the Indian-Eurasian plate collision zone, away from the eastern boundary of the Indian plate by about 450 km. Based on the results of this paper and related studies, the Tengchong volcanoes can be classified as plate boundary volcanoes.

The oxygen-hafnium isotope paradox in the early post Columbia River Basalt silicic volcanism: Evidence for complex batch assembly of upper crustal, lower crustal and low-δ18O silicic magmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colon, D.; Bindeman, I. N.; Ellis, B. S.; Schmitt, A. K.; Fisher, C. M.; Vervoort, J. D.

2013-12-01

Eruptions of the Columbia River flood basalts were immediately followed by large eruptions of silicic magmas; some may have been coeval, others genetically-linked to the CRB. Among the most voluminous of these eruptions was the Jarbidge Rhyolite, which comprises ~500 km3 of lava erupted from 16.1-15.0 Ma in northern Nevada. Activity at Jarbidge was followed at 15.0 Ma by a series of rhyolitic ignimbrites and lavas in the J-P Desert of Idaho ~50 km NW of the Jarbidge Rhyolite center. To constrain magmatic origins and upper crustal magma storage conditions of these two silicic magmatic systems, we conducted bulk and high spatial resolution analysis of whole rocks and minerals (quartz, feldspar, and zircon). Bulk quartz and plagioclase δ18O values of the J-P Desert units are only moderately lower than mantle values, with δ18O-quartz of 5.0-5.5‰ and plagioclase δ18O of ~3.9-5.8‰, along with slightly unradiogenic Nd and Hf whole rock values (average ɛHf and ɛNd of -13.1 and -10.0, respectively), while quartz from the Jarbidge Rhyolite has normal δ18O (+8.4‰), but very unradiogenic ɛHf-ɛNd (ɛHf = -34.7, ɛNd = -24.0), fingerprinting Archean upper crust. SIMS analysis of J-P Desert zircons reveals considerably diverse δ18O values, ranging from -0.6‰ to +6.5‰ in a single unit. The same zircon spots yielded U-Pb SIMS ages which generally agree with the 40Ar/39Ar eruption ages, with no evidence of inheritance of pre-Miocene zircons. Combined with LA-MC-ICP-MS analysis of Hf isotopes overlapping the earlier SIMS spots, these zircons show a clear near-linear correlation between ɛHf and δ18O values observed in individual zircons. This relationship suggests variable mixing of two distinct silicic magmas prior to eruption of the J-P Desert rhyolites. One of these, characterized by extremely low ɛHf values and normal δ18O values, is likely a mantle magma strongly contaminated with shallow Archean crust, represented by the Jarbidge Rhyolite. The other is characterized by primitive mantle-like ɛHf values and very low δ18O values, between 0‰ and -1‰. We conclude that the J-P Desert magmas were assembled from multiple batches of magmas in the shallow crust that had melted and mixed with varying degrees of ancient continental crust of normal δ18O composition and another crustal component that was younger, had undergone considerable hydrothermal alteration, and had ɛNd and ɛHf near 0. The lack of pre-Miocene ages in all analyzed zircons implies thermal resorption of ancient zircons above the zircon saturation temperature, assuming the local crust contained zircon. The source of this hydrothermally altered component is likely related to the hotspot, because low-δ18O magmas occur throughout the hotspot track, despite differences in the local geology. After these diverse magma batches had cooled and formed new zircons, they extensively mixed, forming final giant magma chambers which subsequently erupted. We suggest that this shallow batch-assembly and crustal assimilation is a common feature of large silicic magma systems, made easily resolvable here due to the eruptions' location along the boundary between two extremely distinct types of shallow continental crust.

On the development of the calc-alkaline and tholeiitic magma series: A deep crustal cumulate perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Emily J.; Shimizu, Kei; Bybee, Grant M.; Erdman, Monica E.

2018-01-01

Two distinct igneous differentiation trends - the tholeiitic and calc-alkaline - give rise to Earth's oceanic and continental crust, respectively. Mantle melting at mid-ocean ridges produces dry magmas that differentiate at low-pressure conditions, resulting in early plagioclase saturation, late oxide precipitation, and Fe-enrichment in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs). In contrast, magmas formed above subduction zones are Fe-depleted, have elevated water contents and are more oxidized relative to MORBs. It is widely thought that subduction of hydrothermally altered, oxidized oceanic crust at convergent margins oxidizes the mantle source of arc magmas, resulting in erupted lavas that inherit this oxidized signature. Yet, because our understanding of the calc-alkaline and tholeiitic trends largely comes from studies of erupted melts, the signals from shallow crustal contamination by potentially oxidized, Si-rich, Fe-poor materials, which may also generate calc-alkaline rocks, are obscured. Here, we use deep crustal cumulates to "see through" the effects of shallow crustal processes. We find that the tholeiitic and calc-alkaline trends are indeed reflected in Fe-poor mid-ocean ridge cumulates and Fe-rich arc cumulates, respectively. A key finding is that with increasing crustal thickness, arc cumulates become more Fe-enriched. We propose that the thickness of the overlying crustal column modulates the melting degree of the mantle wedge (lower F beneath thick arcs and vice versa) and thus water and Fe3+ contents in primary melts, which subsequently controls the onset and extent of oxide fractionation. Deep crustal cumulates beneath thick, mature continental arcs are the most Fe-enriched, and therefore may be the "missing" Fe-rich reservoir required to balance the Fe-depleted upper continental crust.

Recording the transition from flare-up to steady-state arc magmatism at the Purico-Chascon volcanic complex, northern Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Dale H.; de Silva, Shanaka L.; Tepley, Frank; Schmitt, Axel K.; Loewen, Matthew W.

2015-07-01

The long-term evolution of continental magmatic arcs is episodic, where a few transient events of high magmatic flux or flare-ups punctuate the low-flux magmatism or "steady state" that makes up most of the arc history. How this duality manifests in terms of differences in crustal architecture, magma dynamics and chemistry, and the time scale over which transitions occur is poorly known. Herein we use multiscale geochemical and isotopic characteristics coupled with geothermobarometry at the Purico-Chascon Volcanic Complex (PCVC) in the Central Andes to identify a transition from flare-up to steady state arc magmatism over ∼800 kyr during which significant changes in upper crustal magmatic dynamics are recorded. The PCVC is one of the youngest volcanic centers related to a 10-1 Ma ignimbrite flare-up in the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex of the Central Andes. Activity at the PCVC initiated 0.98 ± 0.03 Ma with the eruption of a large 80-100 km3 crystal-rich dacite ignimbrite. High, restricted 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios between 0.7085 and 0.7090 in the bulk rock and plagioclase crystals from the Purico ignimbrite, combined with mineral chemistry and phase relationships indicate the dacite magma accumulated and evolved at relatively low temperatures around 800-850 °C in the upper crust at 4-8 km depth. Minor andesite pumice erupted late in the ignimbrite sequence records a second higher temperature (965 °C), higher pressure environment (17-20 km), but with similar restricted radiogenic bulk rock 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7089-0.7091 to the dacites. The compositional and isotopic characteristics of the Purico ignimbrite implicate an extensive zone of upper crustal mixing, assimilation, storage and homogenization (MASH) between ∼30 and 4 km beneath the PCVC ∼1 Ma. The final eruptions at the PCVC < 0.18 ± 0.02 Ma suggest a change in the magmatic architecture beneath the PCVC. These eruptions produced three small <6 km3 crystal-rich dacite lava domes with radiogenic bulk rock 87Sr/86Sr ratios ranging from 0.7075 to 0.7081, that contain abundant basaltic-andesite inclusions with relatively low bulk rock 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7057-0.7061. Plagioclase and amphibole in the host lava of Cerro Chascon, the largest of the domes, record two distinct magmatic environments; an upper crustal environment identical to that recorded in the Purico ignimbrite, and a second deeper, ∼15-20 km depth, higher temperature (∼922-1001 °C) environment. This deeper environment is recorded in textures and compositions of distinct mineral phases, and in intracrystalline isotope ratios. Plagioclase cores in the host dacite lava and mafic inclusions have in situ87Sr/86Sr isotopic compositions of 0.7083 to 0.7095, broadly similar to plagioclase from the Purico ignimbrite. In contrast, plagioclase rims and microphenocrysts in the mafic inclusions are isotopically distinct with lower 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios (0.7057 to 0.7065 and 0.7062 to 0.7064, respectively) that overlap with the regional isotopic "baseline" compositions that are parental to the modern arc lavas. The textural and compositional characteristics of the PCVC attest to two distinct stages in its history. At ∼1 Ma the system was broadly homogeneous and dominantly dacitic recording extensive upper crustal magmatism. By ∼0.2 Ma the PCVC had transitioned to a more compositionally heterogeneous, smaller volume, mixed dacite to basaltic-andesite system, coinciding with the appearance of less-enriched "baseline" compositions. The evolution of PCVC is a microcosm of the Central Andean arc in this region where, from 10 to 1 Ma, upper crustal MASH processes resulted in the production and eruption of large volumes of homogeneous crystal-rich dacite during a regional ignimbrite flare-up. Since ∼1 Ma, decreasing explosivity, smaller eruptive volumes, increasing heterogeneity, and the emergence of less isotopically enriched basaltic-andesite to dacite composite volcanoes signal a return to steady-state arc volcanism. We posit that the transition from flare-up to steady state captured at the PCVC tracks the waning of the arc scale "thermal engine". High magmatic fluxes during the flare-up would lead to elevated geothermal gradients and efficient crustal processing leading to a dominantly "crustal" magmatism feeding the large volume Purico ignimbrite. This upper crustal MASH zone would act as an efficient filter to any parental compositions precluding them from the eruption record. As magmatic flux and thermal energy wanes, crustal isotherms would relax leading to greater thermal contrast between parental magmas, upper crust, and remnant felsic magmas stored in the upper crust. These changes are manifested in the preservation of textural and compositional heterogeneity and the survival of less isotopically enriched magmas in the upper crust. The chemical imprint of these arc-scale changes in magma dynamics is recorded at all scales from bulk rock to intra-crystalline. The distinct magma dynamics and chemical signatures of the two modes of arc magmatism detailed here should provide a model for investigations of mature continental arc evolution through time and space.

Nd, Sr, and O isotopic variations in metaluminous ash-flow tuffs and related volcanic rocks at the Timber Mountain/Oasis Valley Caldera, Complex, SW Nevada: implications for the origin and evolution of large-volume silicic magma bodies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farmer, G.L.; Broxton, D.E.; Warren, R.G.; Pickthorn, W.

1991-01-01

Nd, Sr and O isotopic data were obtained from silicic ash-flow tuffs and lavas at the Tertiary age (16-9 Ma) Timber (Mountain/Oasis Valley volcanic center (TMOV) in southern Nevada, to assess models for the origin and evolution of the large-volume silicic magma bodies generated in this region. The large-volume (>900 km3), chemically-zoned, Topopah Spring (TS) and Tiva Canyon (TC) members of the Paintbrush Tuff, and the Rainier Mesa (RM) and Ammonia Tanks (AT) members of the younger Timber Mountain Tuff all have internal Nd and Sr isotopic zonations. In each tuff, high-silica rhyolites have lower initial e{open}Nd values (???1 e{open}Nd unit), higher87Sr/86Sr, and lower Nd and Sr contents, than cocrupted trachytes. The TS, TC, and RM members have similar e{open}Nd values for high-silica rhyolites (-11.7 to -11.2) and trachytes (-10.5 to -10.7), but the younger AT member has a higher e{open}Nd for both compositional types (-10.3 and -9.4). Oxygen isotope data confirm that the TC and AT members were derived from low e{open}Nd magmas. The internal Sr and Nd isotopic variations in each tuff are interpreted to be the result of the incorporation of 20-40% (by mass) wall-rock into magmas that were injected into the upper crust. The low e{open}Nd magmas most likely formed via the incorporation of low ??18O, hydrothermally-altered, wall-rock. Small-volume rhyolite lavas and ash-flow tuffs have similar isotopic characteristics to the large-volume ash-flow tuffs, but lavas erupted from extracaldera vents may have interacted with higher ??18O crustal rocks peripheral to the main magma chamber(s). Andesitic lavas from the 13-14 Ma Wahmonie/Salyer volcanic center southeast of the TMOV have low e{open}Nd (-13.2 to -13.8) and are considered on the basis of textural evidence to be mixtures of basaltic composition magmas and large proportions (70-80%) of anatectic crustal melts. A similar process may have occurred early in the magmatic history of the TMOV. The large-volume rhyolites may represent a mature stage of magmatism after repeated injection of basaltic magmas, crustal melting, and volcanism cleared sufficient space in the upper crust for large magma bodies to accumulate and differentiate. The TMOV rhyolites and 0-10 Ma old basalts that erupted in southern Nevada all have similar Nd and Sr isotopic compositions, which suggests that silicic and mafic magmatism at the TMOV were genetically related. The distinctive isotopic compositions of the AT member may reflect temporal changes in the isotopic compositions of basaltic magmas entering the upper crust, possibly as a result of increasing "basification" of a lower crustal magma source by repeated injection of mantle-derived mafic magmas. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag.

Resonance oscillations of the Soufrière Hills Volcano (Montserrat, W.I.) magmatic system induced by forced magma flow from the reservoir into the upper plumbing dike

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chin-Wu; Huang, Hsin-Fu; Hautmann, Stefanie; Sacks, I. Selwyn; Linde, Alan T.; Taira, Taka'aki

2018-01-01

Short-period deformation cycles are a common phenomenon at active volcanoes and are often attributed to the instability of magma flow in the upper plumbing system caused by fluctuations in magma viscosity related to cooling, degassing, and crystallization. Here we present 20-min periodic oscillations in ground deformation based on high-precision continuous borehole strain data that were associated with the 2003 massive dome-collapse at the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat (West Indies). These high-frequency oscillations lasted 80 min and were preceded by a 4-hour episode of rapid expansion of the shallow magma reservoir. Strain amplitude ratios indicate that the deformational changes were generated by pressure variations in the shallow magma reservoir and - with reversed polarity - the adjacent plumbing dike. The unusually short period of the oscillations cannot be explained with thermally induced variations in magma properties. We investigate the underlying mechanism of the oscillations via a numerical model of forced magma flow through a reservoir-dike system accounting for time-dependent dilation/contraction of the dike due to a viscous response in the surrounding host rock. Our results suggest that the cyclic pressure variations are modulated by the dynamical interplay between rapid expansion of the magma chamber and the incapacity of the narrow dike to take up fast enough the magma volumes supplied by the reservoir. Our results allow us to place first order constraints on the viscosity of crustal host rocks and consequently its fractional melt content. Hence, we present for the first time crustal-scale in situ measurements of rheological properties of mush zones surrounding magmatic systems.

Extremely High Magma Emplacement Rates Recorded in the Golden Horn Batholith, WA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eddy, M. P.; Bowring, S. A.; Tepper, J. H.; Miller, R. B.

2015-12-01

High SiO2 rhyolites emplaced during 'super-eruptions' demonstrate that large volumes of eruptible magma can exist in the upper crust. However, the timescale over which the magma reservoirs that source these eruptions are built remains controversial. Thermal models suggest that magma emplacement rates need to be > 0.005-0.01 km3/yr in order to accumulate enough eruptible magma to source a 'super-eruption'. Yet, these rates are higher than the time-averaged rates (< 0.001 km3/yr) for nearly all well-studied granitoid plutonic complexes. This disparity contradicts geologic evidence suggesting that the high SiO2 rhyolites emplaced during 'super-eruptions' are extracted from crystal rich magma chambers that should be preserved in the geologic record as granodioritic and granitic plutons. We quantify time-averaged magma emplacement rates for the upper crustal Golden Horn batholith, WA based on new geologic mapping and U-Pb zircon CA-IDTIMS geochronology. The batholith is exposed over 310 km3 and can be separated in the field into five intrusive units. High topography allows the 3D geometry of each phase to be constrained and their volumes range from < 100 km3 to > 400 km3. U-Pb zircon geochronology reveals that four of the five phases were assembled incrementally and distinct zircon populations from samples within these phases suggest that individual magmatic pulses had fully crystallized before the next arrived. However, six nearly identical U-Pb zircon dates from a > 400 km3 rapakivi granite show that this phase was built in ca. 50 kyr and that large portions may have been emplaced nearly simultaneously. The implied emplacement rate for this phase (≥ 0.008 km3/yr) is in agreement with those predicted for assembly of the upper crustal magma chambers that source 'super-eruptions', and it may provide a rare and unprecedented opportunity to study the processes that occur in such chambers.

MAGMIX: a basic program to calculate viscosities of interacting magmas of differing composition, temperature, and water content

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frost, T.P.; Lindsay, J.R.

1988-01-01

MAGMIX is a BASIC program designed to predict viscosities at thermal equilibrium of interacting magmas of differing compositions, initial temperatures, crystallinities, crystal sizes, and water content for any mixing proportion between end members. From the viscosities of the end members at thermal equilibrium, it is possible to predict the styles of magma interaction expected for different initial conditions. The program is designed for modeling the type of magma interaction between hypersthenenormative magmas at upper crustal conditions. Utilization of the program to model magma interaction at pressures higher than 200 MPa would require modification of the program to account for the effects of pressure on heat of fusion and magma density. ?? 1988.

Boron isotope fractionation in magma via crustal carbonate dissolution

PubMed Central

Deegan, Frances M.; Troll, Valentin R.; Whitehouse, Martin J.; Jolis, Ester M.; Freda, Carmela

2016-01-01

Carbon dioxide released by arc volcanoes is widely considered to originate from the mantle and from subducted sediments. Fluids released from upper arc carbonates, however, have recently been proposed to help modulate arc CO2 fluxes. Here we use boron as a tracer, which substitutes for carbon in limestone, to further investigate crustal carbonate degassing in volcanic arcs. We performed laboratory experiments replicating limestone assimilation into magma at crustal pressure-temperature conditions and analysed boron isotope ratios in the resulting experimental glasses. Limestone dissolution and assimilation generates CaO-enriched glass near the reaction site and a CO2-dominated vapour phase. The CaO-rich glasses have extremely low δ11B values down to −41.5‰, reflecting preferential partitioning of 10B into the assimilating melt. Loss of 11B from the reaction site occurs via the CO2 vapour phase generated during carbonate dissolution, which transports 11B away from the reaction site as a boron-rich fluid phase. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of boron isotope fractionation during crustal carbonate assimilation and suggest that low δ11B melt values in arc magmas could flag shallow-level additions to the subduction cycle. PMID:27488228

Boron isotope fractionation in magma via crustal carbonate dissolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deegan, Frances M.; Troll, Valentin R.; Whitehouse, Martin J.; Jolis, Ester M.; Freda, Carmela

2016-08-01

Carbon dioxide released by arc volcanoes is widely considered to originate from the mantle and from subducted sediments. Fluids released from upper arc carbonates, however, have recently been proposed to help modulate arc CO2 fluxes. Here we use boron as a tracer, which substitutes for carbon in limestone, to further investigate crustal carbonate degassing in volcanic arcs. We performed laboratory experiments replicating limestone assimilation into magma at crustal pressure-temperature conditions and analysed boron isotope ratios in the resulting experimental glasses. Limestone dissolution and assimilation generates CaO-enriched glass near the reaction site and a CO2-dominated vapour phase. The CaO-rich glasses have extremely low δ11B values down to -41.5‰, reflecting preferential partitioning of 10B into the assimilating melt. Loss of 11B from the reaction site occurs via the CO2 vapour phase generated during carbonate dissolution, which transports 11B away from the reaction site as a boron-rich fluid phase. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of boron isotope fractionation during crustal carbonate assimilation and suggest that low δ11B melt values in arc magmas could flag shallow-level additions to the subduction cycle.

Boron isotope fractionation in magma via crustal carbonate dissolution.

PubMed

Deegan, Frances M; Troll, Valentin R; Whitehouse, Martin J; Jolis, Ester M; Freda, Carmela

2016-08-04

Carbon dioxide released by arc volcanoes is widely considered to originate from the mantle and from subducted sediments. Fluids released from upper arc carbonates, however, have recently been proposed to help modulate arc CO2 fluxes. Here we use boron as a tracer, which substitutes for carbon in limestone, to further investigate crustal carbonate degassing in volcanic arcs. We performed laboratory experiments replicating limestone assimilation into magma at crustal pressure-temperature conditions and analysed boron isotope ratios in the resulting experimental glasses. Limestone dissolution and assimilation generates CaO-enriched glass near the reaction site and a CO2-dominated vapour phase. The CaO-rich glasses have extremely low δ(11)B values down to -41.5‰, reflecting preferential partitioning of (10)B into the assimilating melt. Loss of (11)B from the reaction site occurs via the CO2 vapour phase generated during carbonate dissolution, which transports (11)B away from the reaction site as a boron-rich fluid phase. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of boron isotope fractionation during crustal carbonate assimilation and suggest that low δ(11)B melt values in arc magmas could flag shallow-level additions to the subduction cycle.

Where do arc magmas differentiate? A seismic and geochemical search for active, deep crustal MASH zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, X.; Delph, J. R.; Shimizu, K.; Rasmussen, D. J.; Ratschbacher, B. C.

2017-12-01

Deep zones of mixing, assimilation, storage, and homogenization (MASH) are thought to be one of the primary locations where primitive arc magmas stall, interact with crustal material, and differentiate. Support for deep crustal MASH zones is found in exposed crustal sections, where mafic-ultramafic lithologies occur in the lower crust. However, geophysical observations of active deep MASH zones are rare, and their ubiquity is difficult to assess solely based on geochemistry. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we investigate the role of deep crustal processing by investigating two contrasting arcs: the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ) of the Andes, characterized by thick crust ( 60 km) and large volume silicic eruptions that extend into the back arc, and the Cascadia arc, characterized by thinner crust ( 40 km) and less evolved eruptions. In the southern Puna region of the CVZ, shear-wave velocities in the uppermost mantle are slow ( 3.9 km/s) compared to the minimum expected shear velocity for melt-free mantle lithosphere ( 4.2 km/s). This is consistent with the presence of a melt-bearing MASH zone near the crust-mantle transition. Sr isotopes indicate the magmas interacted with continental crust, and elevated Dy/Yb ratios suggest this process occurred in the garnet stability field (> 1 GPa). Major element signatures (e.g., ASI vs. SiO2) also suggest contribution from partial melting of the lower crust. The signature of lower crustal differentiation (high Dy/Yb) is also observed in the nearby ignimbrites from Cerro Galan, despite the presence of a large slow velocity body at depths too shallow for garnet stability, suggesting that the geochemical signatures of deep MASH zones may be retained regardless of whether magmas stall at shallower depths. Similarly elevated Dy/Yb ratios and slow shear-wave velocities in the upper mantle are common in the CVZ, implying deep MASH zones are pervasive there. A similar approach is applied to Cascadia, where seismic and geochemical signatures of lower crustal processing are weaker than those in the CVZ. The strongest evidence for a deep MASH zone is found at Rainier, where upper mantle velocities are slow and slightly elevated Dy/Yb ratios in evolved melts indicate differentiation in the presence of garnet. Our results suggest deep MASH zones are more common in the CVZ than Cascadia.

The largest volcanic eruptions on Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, Scott E.; Peate, Ingrid Ukstins; Peate, David W.; Self, Stephen; Jerram, Dougal A.; Mawby, Michael R.; Marsh, J. S. (Goonie); Miller, Jodie A.

2010-10-01

Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are sites of the most frequently recurring, largest volume basaltic and silicic eruptions in Earth history. These large-volume (> 1000 km 3 dense rock equivalent) and large-magnitude (> M8) eruptions produce areally extensive (10 4-10 5 km 2) basaltic lava flow fields and silicic ignimbrites that are the main building blocks of LIPs. Available information on the largest eruptive units are primarily from the Columbia River and Deccan provinces for the dimensions of flood basalt eruptions, and the Paraná-Etendeka and Afro-Arabian provinces for the silicic ignimbrite eruptions. In addition, three large-volume (675-2000 km 3) silicic lava flows have also been mapped out in the Proterozoic Gawler Range province (Australia), an interpreted LIP remnant. Magma volumes of > 1000 km 3 have also been emplaced as high-level basaltic and rhyolitic sills in LIPs. The data sets indicate comparable eruption magnitudes between the basaltic and silicic eruptions, but due to considerable volumes residing as co-ignimbrite ash deposits, the current volume constraints for the silicic ignimbrite eruptions may be considerably underestimated. Magma composition thus appears to be no barrier to the volume of magma emitted during an individual eruption. Despite this general similarity in magnitude, flood basaltic and silicic eruptions are very different in terms of eruption style, duration, intensity, vent configuration, and emplacement style. Flood basaltic eruptions are dominantly effusive and Hawaiian-Strombolian in style, with magma discharge rates of ~ 10 6-10 8 kg s -1 and eruption durations estimated at years to tens of years that emplace dominantly compound pahoehoe lava flow fields. Effusive and fissural eruptions have also emplaced some large-volume silicic lavas, but discharge rates are unknown, and may be up to an order of magnitude greater than those of flood basalt lava eruptions for emplacement to be on realistic time scales (< 10 years). Most silicic eruptions, however, are moderately to highly explosive, producing co-current pyroclastic fountains (rarely Plinian) with discharge rates of 10 9-10 11 kg s -1 that emplace welded to rheomorphic ignimbrites. At present, durations for the large-magnitude silicic eruptions are unconstrained; at discharge rates of 10 9 kg s -1, equivalent to the peak of the 1991 Mt Pinatubo eruption, the largest silicic eruptions would take many months to evacuate > 5000 km 3 of magma. The generally simple deposit structure is more suggestive of short-duration (hours to days) and high intensity (~ 10 11 kg s -1) eruptions, perhaps with hiatuses in some cases. These extreme discharge rates would be facilitated by multiple point, fissure and/or ring fracture venting of magma. Eruption frequencies are much elevated for large-magnitude eruptions of both magma types during LIP-forming episodes. However, in basalt-dominated provinces (continental and ocean basin flood basalt provinces, oceanic plateaus, volcanic rifted margins), large magnitude (> M8) basaltic eruptions have much shorter recurrence intervals of 10 3-10 4 years, whereas similar magnitude silicic eruptions may have recurrence intervals of up to 10 5 years. The Paraná-Etendeka province was the site of at least nine > M8 silicic eruptions over an ~ 1 Myr period at ~ 132 Ma; a similar eruption frequency, although with a fewer number of silicic eruptions is also observed for the Afro-Arabian Province. The huge volumes of basaltic and silicic magma erupted in quick succession during LIP events raises several unresolved issues in terms of locus of magma generation and storage (if any) in the crust prior to eruption, and paths and rates of ascent from magma reservoirs to the surface. Available data indicate four end-member magma petrogenetic pathways in LIPs: 1) flood basalt magmas with primitive, mantle-dominated geochemical signatures (often high-Ti basalt magma types) that were either transferred directly from melting regions in the upper mantle to fissure vents at surface, or resided temporarily in reservoirs in the upper mantle or in mafic underplate thereby preventing extensive crustal contamination or crystallisation; 2) flood basalt magmas (often low-Ti types) that have undergone storage at lower ± upper crustal depths resulting in crustal assimilation, crystallisation, and degassing; 3) generation of high-temperature anhydrous, crystal-poor silicic magmas (e.g., Paraná-Etendeka quartz latites) by large-scale AFC processes involving lower crustal granulite melting and/or basaltic underplate remelting; and 4) rejuvenation of upper-crustal batholiths (mainly near-solidus crystal mush) by shallow intrusion and underplating by mafic magma providing thermal and volatile input to produce large volumes of crystal-rich (30-50%) dacitic to rhyolitic magma and for ignimbrite-producing eruptions, well-defined calderas up to 80 km diameter (e.g., Fish Canyon Tuff model), and which characterise of some silicic eruptions in silicic LIPs.

H, O, Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope geochemistry of the Latir volcanic field and cogenetic intrusions, New Mexico, and relations between evolution of a continental magmatic center and modifications of the lithosphere

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, C.M.; Lipman, P.W.; Czamanske, G.K.

1990-01-01

Over 200 H, O, Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope analyses, in addition to geologic and petrologic constraints, document the magmatic evolution of the 28.5-19 Ma Latir volcanic field and associated intrusive rocks, which includes multiple stages of crustal assimilation, magma mixing, protracted crystallization, and open- and closed-system evolution in the upper crust. In contrast to data from younger volcanic centers in northern New Mexico, relatively low and restricted primary ??18O values (+6.4 to +7.4) rule out assimilation of supracrustal rocks enriched in 18O. Initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.705 to 0.708), ??18O values (-2 to-7), and 206Pb/204Pb ratios (17.5 to 18.4) of metaluminous precaldera volcanic rocks and postcaldera plutonic rocks suggest that most Latir rocks were generated by fractional crystallization of substantial volumes of mantle-derived basaltic magma that had near-chondritic Nd isotope ratios, accompanied by assimilation of crustal material in two main stages: 1) assimilation of non-radiogenic lower crust, followed by 2) assimilation of middle and upper crust by inter-mediate-composition magmas that had been contaminated during the first stage. Magmatic evolution in the upper crust peaked with eruption of the peralkaline Amalia Tuff (???26 Ma), which evolved from metaluminous parental magmas. A third stage of late, roofward assimilation of Proterozoic rocks in the Amalia Tuff magma is indicated by trends in initial 87Sr/86Sr and 206Pb/204Pb ratios from 0.7057 to 0.7098 and 19.5 to 18.8, respectively, toward the top of the pre-eruptive magma chamber. Highly evolved postcaldera plutons are generally fine grained and are zoned in initial 87Sr/86Sr and 206Pb/204Pb ratios, varying from 0.705 to 0.709 and 17.8 to 18.6, respectively. In contrast, the coarser-grained Cabresto Lake (???25 Ma) and Rio Hondo (???21 Ma) plutons have relatively homogeneous initial 87Sr/86Sr and 206Pb/204Pb ratios of approximately 0.7053 and 17.94 and 17.55, respectively. ??18O values for all the postcaldera plutons overlap those of the precaldera rocks and Amalia Tuff, except for those for two late-stage rhyolite dikes associated with the Rio Hondo pluton that have ??18O values of-8.6 and-9.5; these dikes are the only Latir rocks which may be largely crustal melts. Chemical and isotopic data from the Latir field suggest that large fluxes of mantle-derived basaltic magma are necessary for developing and sustaining large-volume volcanic centers. Development of a detailed model suggests that 6-15 km of new crust may have been added beneath the volcanic center; such an addition may result in significant changes in the chemical and Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of the crust, although Pb isotope ratios will remain relatively unchanged. If accompanied by assimilation, crystallization of pooled basaltic magma near the MOHO may produce substantial cumulates beneath the MOHO that generate large changes in the isotopic composition of the upper mantle. The Latir field may be similar to other large-volume, long-lived intracratonal volcanic fields that fundamentally owe their origins to extensive injection of basaltic magma into the lower parts of their magmatic systems. Such fields may overlie areas of significant crustal growth and hybridization. ?? 1990 Springer-Verlag.

Using Earthquake Location and Coda Attenuation Analysis to Explore Shallow Structures Above the Socorro Magma Body, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, J. P.; Bilek, S. L.; Worthington, L. L.; Schmandt, B.; Aster, R. C.

2017-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB) is a thin, sill-like intrusion with a top at 19 km depth covering approximately 3400 km2 within the Rio Grande Rift. InSAR studies show crustal uplift patterns linked to SMB inflation with deformation rates of 2.5 mm/yr in the area of maximum uplift with some peripheral subsidence. Our understanding of the emplacement history and shallow structure above the SMB is limited. We use a large seismic deployment to explore seismicity and crustal attenuation in the SMB region, focusing on the area of highest observed uplift to investigate the possible existence of fluid/magma in the upper crust. We would expect to see shallower earthquakes and/or higher attenuation if high heat flow, fluid or magma is present in the upper crust. Over 800 short period vertical component geophones situated above the northern portion of the SMB were deployed for two weeks in 2015. This data is combined with other broadband and short period seismic stations to detect and locate earthquakes as well as to estimate seismic attenuation. We use phase arrivals from the full dataset to relocate a set of 33 local/regional earthquakes recorded during the deployment. We also measure amplitude decay after the S-wave arrival to estimate coda attenuation caused by scattering of seismic waves and anelastic processes. Coda attenuation is estimated using the single backscatter method described by Aki and Chouet (1975), filtering the seismograms at 6, 9 and 12 Hz center frequencies. Earthquakes occurred at 2-13 km depth during the deployment, but no spatial patterns linked with the high uplift region were observed over this short duration. Attenuation results for this deployment suggest Q ranging in values of 130 to 2000, averaging around Q of 290, comparable to Q estimates of other studies of the western US. With our dense station coverage, we explore attenuation over smaller scales, and find higher attenuation for stations in the area of maximum uplift relative to stations outside of the maximum uplift, which could indicate upper crustal heterogeneities with shallow process above the magma body in this area.

Crustal contamination and crystal entrapment during polybaric magma evolution at Mt. Somma-Vesuvius volcano, Italy: Geochemical and Sr isotope evidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piochi, M.; Ayuso, R.A.; de Vivo, B.; Somma, R.

2006-01-01

New major and trace element analyses and Sr-isotope determinations of rocks from Mt. Somma-Vesuvius volcano produced from 25 ky BP to 1944 AD are part of an extensive database documenting the geochemical evolution of this classic region. Volcanic rocks include silica undersaturated, potassic and ultrapotassic lavas and tephras characterized by variable mineralogy and different crystal abundance, as well as by wide ranges of trace element contents and a wide span of initial Sr-isotopic compositions. Both the degree of undersaturation in silica and the crystal content increase through time, being higher in rocks produced after the eruption at 472 AD (Pollena eruption). Compositional variations have been generally thought to reflect contributions from diverse types of mantle and crust. Magma mixing is commonly invoked as a fundamental process affecting the magmas, in addition to crystal fractionation. Our assessment of geochemical and Sr-isotopic data indicates that compositional variability also reflects the influence of crustal contamination during magma evolution during upward migration to shallow crustal levels and/or by entrapment of crystal mush generated during previous magma storage in the crust. Using a variant of the assimilation fractional crystallization model (Energy Conservation-Assimilation Fractional Crystallization; [Spera and Bohrson, 2001. Energy-constrained open-system magmatic processes I: General model and energy-constrained assimilation and fractional crystallization (EC-AFC) formulation. J. Petrol. 999-1018]; [Bohrson, W.A. and Spera, F.J., 2001. Energy-constrained open-system magmatic process II: application of energy-constrained assimilation-fractional crystallization (EC-AFC) model to magmatic systems. J. Petrol. 1019-1041]) we estimated the contributions from the crust and suggest that contamination by carbonate rocks that underlie the volcano (2 km down to 9-10 km) is a fundamental process controlling magma compositions at Mt. Somma-Vesuvius in the last 8 ky BP. Contamination in the mid- to upper crust occurred repeatedly, after the magma chamber waxed with influx of new mantle- and crustal-derived magmas and fluids, and waned as a result of magma withdrawal and production of large and energetic plinian and subplinian eruptions. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Zircon petrochronology reveals the temporal link between porphyry systems and the magmatic evolution of their hidden plutonic roots (the Eocene Coroccohuayco deposit, Peru)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chelle-Michou, Cyril; Chiaradia, Massimo; Ovtcharova, Maria; Ulianov, Alexey; Wotzlaw, Jörn-Frederik

2014-06-01

We present zircon geochronologic (LA-ICPMS and ID-TIMS), trace element and Hf isotopic evidence for a complex evolution of the plutonic roots of the Eocene Coroccohuayco porphyry system, southern Peru. LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating has initially been carried out to optimize grain selection for subsequent high-precision ID-TIMS dating and to characterize crustal assimilation (xenocrystic cores). This combined in-situ and whole-grain U-Pb dating of the same grains has been further exploited to derive a robust temporal interpretation of the complex magmatic system associated with the Coroccohuayco porphyry-skarn deposit. Our data reveal that a heterogeneous gabbrodioritic complex was emplaced at ca. 40.4 Ma and was followed by a nearly 5 Ma-long magmatic lull until the emplacement of dacitic porphyry stocks and dykes associated with the mineralizing event at ca. 35.6 Ma. However, at the sample scale, zircons from the porphyries provide insight into a 2 Ma-long lived “hidden” magmatism (probably at 4-9 km paleodepth) prior to porphyry intrusion and mineralization for which no other evidence can be found on the surface today. These dates together with zircon trace element analysis and Hf isotopes argue for the development of a long-lived magmatic system dominated by amphibole fractionation with an increasing amount of crustal assimilation and the development of a large and sustained thermal anomaly. The system was probably rejuvenated at an increasing rate from 37.5 to 35.6 Ma with injection of fresh and oxidized magma from the lower crust, which caused cannibalism and remelting of proto-plutons. The porphyry intrusions at Coroccohuayco were emplaced at the peak thermal conditions of this upper crustal magma chamber, which subsequently cooled and expelled ore fluids. Zircon xenocrysts and Hf isotopes in the porphyritic rocks suggest that this large upper crustal system evolved at stratigraphic levels corresponding to Triassic sediments similar to the Mitu group that may be present below the district. Using the zircon Ce anomaly as a proxy for oxidation state of the magma through time, we show that the high oxidation state of the porphyries is not the result of upper-crustal processes but is rather controlled by magmatic processes occurring at deeper levels. A comparison of our data with available high-precision geochronologic data at other porphyry systems suggests that such deposits may form when injection rate, volume and heat of their long-lived upper crustal magmatic system reach their peaks. These features might be diagnostic of a productive deposit.

Influence of stretching and density contrasts on the chemical evolution of continental magmas: An example from the Ivrea-Verbano Zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sinigoi, S.; Quick, J.E.; Mayer, A.; Budahn, J.

1996-01-01

The southern Ivrea-Verbano Zone of the Italian Western Alps contains a huge mafic complex that intruded high-grade metamorphic rocks while they were resident in the lower crust. Geologic mapping and chemical variations of the igneous body were used to study the evolution of underplated crust. Slivers of crustal rocks (septa) interlayered with igneous mafic rocks are concentrated in a narrow zone deep in the complex (Paragneiss-bearing Belt) and show evidence of advanced degrees of partial melting. Variations of rare-earth-element patterns and Sr isotope composition of the igneous rocks across the sequence are consistent with increasing crustal contamination approaching the septa. Therefore, the Paragneiss-bearing Belt is considered representative of an "assimilation region" where in-situ interaction between mantle- and crust-derived magmas resulted in production of hybrid melts. Buoyancy caused upwards migration of the hybrid melts that incorporated the last septa and were stored at higher levels, feeding the Upper Mafic Complex. Synmagmatic stretching of the assimilation region facilitated mixing and homogenization of melts. Chemical variations of granitoids extracted from the septa show that deep septa are more depleted than shallow ones. This suggests that the first incorporated septa were denser than the later ones, as required by the high density of the first-injected mafic magmas. It is inferred that density contrasts between mafic melts and crustal rocks play a crucial role for the processes of contamination of continental magmas. In thick under- plated crust, the extraction of early felsic/hybrid melts from the lower crust may be required to increase the density of the lower crust and to allow the later mafic magmas to penetrate higher crustal levels.

Geophysical Investigations of Crustal and Upper Mantle Structure of Oceanic Intraplate Volcanoes (OIVs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, A. H.; Peirce, C.; Funnell, M.; Watts, A. B.; Grevemeyer, I.

2016-12-01

Oceanic intraplate volcanoes (OIVs) represent a record of the modification of the oceanic crust by volcanism related to a range of processes including hot-spots, small scale mantle convection, and localised lithospheric extension. Geophysical studies of OIVs show a diversity in crustal and upper mantle structures, proposed to exist on a spectrum between two end-members where the main control is the age of the lithosphere at the time of volcanism. This hypothesis states that where the lithosphere is older, colder, and thicker it is more resistant to vertical magmatism than younger, hotter, thinner lithosphere. It is suggested that the Moho acts as a density filter, permitting relatively buoyant magma to vertically intrude the crust, but preventing denser magma from ascending to shallow levels. A key control may therefore be the melting depth, known to affect magma composition, and itself related to lithosphere age. Combined geophysical approaches allow us to develop robust models for OIV crustal structures with quantifiable resolution and uncertainty. As a case study, we present results from a multi-approach geophysical experiment at the Louisville Ridge Seamount Chain, believed to have formed on young (<10 Ma) lithosphere, which aimed at characterising the along-ridge crustal structure. The wide-angle seismic crustal model, generated by independent forward and inverse travel-time modelling of picked arrivals, is tested against reflection and gravity data. We compare our observations with studies of other OIVs to test whether lithospheric age controls OIV structure. Comparisons are limited by the temporal and spatial distribution of lithosphere and volcano ages, but suggest the hypothesis does not hold for all OIV features. While age may be the main control on OIV structure, as it determines lithosphere thermal and mechanical properties, other factors such as thermal rejuvenation, mechanical weakening, and volcano load size and distribution, may also come into play.

The Modulation of Crustal Magmatic Systems by Tectonic Forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakas, O.; Dufek, J.

2010-12-01

The amount, location and residence time of melt in the crust significantly impacts crustal structure and influences the composition, frequency, and volume of eruptive products. In this study, we develop a two dimensional model that simulates the response of the crust to prolonged mantle-derived intrusions in arc environments. The domain includes the entire crustal section and upper mantle and focuses on the evolving thermal structure due to intrusions and external tectonic forcing. Magmatic intrusion into the crust can be accommodated by extension or thickening of the crust or some combination of both mechanisms. Additionally, external tectonic forcing can generate thicker crustal sections, while tectonic extension can significantly thin the crust. We monitor the thermal response, melt fraction and surface heat flux for different tectonic conditions and melt flux from the mantle. The amount of crustal melt versus fractionated primary mantle melts present in the crustal column helps determine crustal structure and growth through time. We express the amount of crustal melting in terms of an efficiency; we define the melting efficiency as the ratio of the melted volume of crustal material to the volume of melt expected from a strict enthalpy balance as explained by Dufek and Bergantz (2005). Melting efficiencies are less than 1 in real systems because heat diffuses to sections of the crust that never melt. In general, thick crust and crust experiencing extended compressional regimes results in an increased melting efficiency; and thin crust and crust with high extension rates have lower efficiency. In most settings, maximum efficiencies are less than 0.05-0.10. We also observe that with a geophysically estimated flux, the mantle-derived magma bodies build up isolated magma pods that are distributed in the crust. One of the aspects of this work is to monitor the location and size of these magma chambers in the crustal column. We further investigate the rheological, stress and pre-existing structure control on the longevity of the individual magmatic systems.

Crustal tomography of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake area in West Japan using P and PmP data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haibo; Zhao, Dapeng; Huang, Zhouchuan; Xu, Mingjie; Wang, Liangshu; Nishizono, Yukihisa; Inakura, Hirohito

2018-05-01

A high-resolution model of three-dimensional (3-D) P-wave velocity (Vp) tomography of the crust in the source area of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (M 7.3) in West Japan is determined using a large number of arrival times of first P-waves and reflected P-waves from the Moho discontinuity (PmP). The PmP data are collected from original seismograms of the Kumamoto aftershocks and other local crustal events in Kyushu. Detailed resolution tests show that the addition of the PmP data can significantly improve the resolution of the crustal tomography, especially that of the lower crust. Our results show that significant low-velocity (low-V) anomalies exist in the entire crust beneath the active arc volcanoes, which may reflect the pathway of arc magmas. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquake occurred at the edge of a small low-V zone in the upper crust. A significant low-V anomaly is revealed in the lower crust beneath the source zone, which may reflect the arc magma and fluids ascending from the mantle wedge. These results suggest that the rupture nucleation of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake was affected by fluids and arc magma.

Aleutian tholeiitic and calc-alkaline magma series I: The mafic phenocrysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kay, S. Mahlburg; Kay, Robert W.

1985-07-01

Diagnostic mafic silicate assemblages in a continuous spectrum of Aleutian volcanic rocks provide evidence for contrasts in magmatic processes in the Aleutian arc crust. Tectonic segmentation of the arc exerts a primary control on the variable mixing, fractional crystallization and possible assimilation undergone by the magmas. End members of the continuum are termed calc-alkaline (CA) and tholeiitic (TH). CA volcanic rocks (e.g., Buldir and Moffett volcanoes) have low FeO/MgO ratios and contain compositionally diverse phenocryst populations, indicating magma mixing. Their Ni and Cr-rich magnesian olivine and clinopyroxene come from mantle-derived mafic olivine basalts that have mixed with more fractionated magmas at mid-to lower-crustal levels immediately preceding eruption. High-Al amphibole is associated with the mafic end member. In contrast, TH lavas (e.g., Okmok and Westdahl volcanoes) have high FeO/MgO ratios and contain little evidence for mixing. Evolved lavas represent advanced stages of low pressure crystallization from a basaltic magma. These lavas contain groundmass olivine (FO 40 50) and lack Ca-poor pyroxene. Aleutian volcanic rocks with intermediate FeO/MgO ratios are termed transitional tholeiitic (TTH) and calc-alkaline (TCA). TCA magmas are common (e.g., Moffett, Adagdak, Great Sitkin, and Kasatochi volcanoes) and have resulted from mixing of high-Al basalt with more evolved magmas. They contain amphibole (high and low-Al) or orthopyroxene or both and are similar to the Japanese hypersthene-series. TTH magmas (e.g., Okmok and Westdahl) contain orthopyroxene or pigeonite or both, and show some indication of upper crustal mixing. They are mineralogically similar to the Japanese pigeonite-series. High-Al basalt lacks Mg-rich mafic phases and is a derivative magma produced by high pressure fractionation of an olivine tholeiite. The low pressure mineral assemblage of high-Al basalt results from crystallization at higher crustal levels.

Effects of crustal thickness on magmatic differentiation in subduction zone volcanism: A global study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farner, Michael J.; Lee, Cin-Ty A.

2017-07-01

The majority of arc magmas are highly evolved due to differentiation within the lithosphere or crust. Some studies have suggested a relationship between crustal thickness and magmatic differentiation, but the exact nature of this relationship is unclear. Here, we examine the interplay of crustal thickness and magmatic differentiation using a global geochemical dataset compiled from active volcanic arcs and elevation as a proxy for crustal thickness. With increasing crustal thickness, average arc magma compositions become more silicic (andesitic) and enriched in incompatible elements, indicating that on average, arc magmas in thick crust are more evolved, which can be easily explained by the longer transit and cooling times of magmas traversing thick arc lithosphere and crust. As crustal thickness increases, arc magmas show higher degrees of iron depletion at a given MgO content, indicating that arc magmas saturate earlier in magnetite when traversing thick crust. This suggests that differentiation within thick crust occurs under more oxidizing conditions and that the origin of oxidation is due to intracrustal processes (contamination or recharge) or the role of thick crust in modulating melting degree in the mantle wedge. We also show that although arc magmas are on average more silicic in thick crust, the most silicic magmas (>70 wt.% SiO2) are paradoxically found in thin crust settings, where average compositions are low in silica (basaltic). We suggest that extreme residual magmas, such as those exceeding 70 wt.% SiO2, are preferentially extracted from shallow crustal magma bodies than from deep-seated magma bodies, the latter more commonly found in regions of thick crust. We suggest that this may be because the convective lifespan of crustal magma bodies is limited by conductive cooling through the overlying crustal lid and that magma bodies in thick crust cool more slowly than in thin crust. When the crust is thin, cooling is rapid, preventing residual magmas from being extracted; in the rare case that residual magmas can be extracted, they represent the very last melt fractions, which are highly silicic. When the crust is thick, cooling is slow, so intermediate melt fractions can readily segregate and erupt to the surface, where they cool and crystallize before highly silicic residual melts can be generated.

Magma addition rates in continental arcs: New methods of calculation and global implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratschbacher, B. C.; Paterson, S. R.

2017-12-01

The transport of mass, heat and geochemical constituents (elements and volatiles) from the mantle to the atmosphere occurs via magma addition to the lithosphere. Calculation of magma addition rates (MARs) in continental arcs based on exposed proportions of igneous arc rocks is complex and rarely consistently determined. Multiple factors influence MAR calculations such as crust versus mantle contributions to magmas, a change in MARs across the arc and with depths throughout the arc crustal column, `arc tempos' with periods of high and low magmatic activity, the loss of previous emplaced arc rocks by subsequent magmatism and return to the mantle, arc migration, variations in the intrusive versus extrusive additions and evolving arc widths and thicknesses during tectonism. All of these factors need to be considered when calculating MARs.This study makes a new attempt to calculate MARs in continental arcs by studying three arc sections: the Famatinian arc, Argentina, the Sierra Nevada batholith, California and the Coast Mountain batholith, Washington and British Columbia. Arcs are divided into fore-arc, main arc and back arc sections and `boxes' with a defined width, length and thickness spanning upper middle and lower crustal levels are assigned to each section. Representative exposed crustal slices for each depth are then used to calculate MARs based on outcrop proportions for each box. Geochemical data is used to infer crustal recycling percentages and total thickness of the arc. Preliminary results show a correlation between MARs, crustal thicknesses and magmatic flare-up durations. For instance, the Famatinian arc shows a strong decrease in MARs between the main arc section (9.4 km3/Ma/arc-km) and the fore-arc (0.61 km3/Ma/arc-km) and back-arc (1.52 km3/Ma/arc-km) regions and an increase in the amount of magmatism with depth.Global MARs over geologic timescales have the potential to investigate mantle melt generation rates and the volatile outgassing contribution of unerupted arc magmas to the balance of volatile element cycling from the mantle to the surface. We address this question by using exposed arc length estimates from 760 Ma until present (Cao et al. 2017, EPSL) and scale to MARs based on constrains from the detailed study of the three arc sections and a further division into magma-rich and magma-poor arcs.

From the Slab to the Surface: Origin, Storage, Ascent, and Eruption of Volatile-Bearing Magmas in the Aleutian arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roman, D.; Plank, T. A.; Hauri, E. H.; Rasmussen, D. J.; Power, J. A.; Lyons, J. J.; Haney, M. M.; Werner, C. A.; Kern, C.; Lopez, T. M.; Izbekov, P. E.; Stelling, P. L.

2016-12-01

We present initial results from an integrated geochemical-geophysical study of the Unimak-Cleveland corridor of the Aleutian volcanic arc, which encompasses six volcanoes spanning 450 km of the arc that have erupted in the past 25 years with a wide range of magmatic water contents. This relatively small corridor also exhibits a range of deep and upper-crustal seismicity, apparent magma storage depths, and depths to the subducting tectonic plate. The ultimate goal of this study is to link two normally disconnected big-picture problems: 1) the deep origin of magmas and volatiles, and 2) the formation and eruption of crustal magma reservoirs, which we will do by establishing the depth(s) of crustal magma reservoirs and pre-eruptive volatile contents throughout the corridor. Our preliminary work focuses on the geographic end members Shishaldin Volcano, which last erupted in 2014-2015, and Cleveland Volcano, which last erupted in April-May of this year (2016). Both systems are persistently degassing, open-vent volcanoes whose frequent eruptions are typically characterized by minimal precursory seismicity, making eruption forecasting challenging. At Cleveland, we analyze data from a 12-station broadband seismic network deployed from August 2015-July 2016, which is complemented by two permanent seismo-acoustic stations operated by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO). We also analyze tephras from recent eruptions (including 2016) and conducted ground- and helicopter-based gas emission surveys. At Shishaldin, we analyze data from the permanent AVO network, which is comprised of mainly short-period, single-component seismic stations. We also present preliminary analyses of samples of recent eruptive deposits and gas emission data. Through integration of these various datasets we present preliminary interpretations related to the origin, storage, ascent and eruption of volatile-bearing magmas at Cleveland and Shishaldin volcanoes.

IODP drilling in the South China Sea in 2017 will address the mechanism of continental breakup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Z.; Larsen, H. C.; Lin, J.; Pang, X.; McIntosh, K. D.; Stock, J. M.; Jian, Z.; Wang, P.; Li, C.

2016-12-01

Geophysical exploration and scientific drilling along the North Atlantic rifted continental margins suggested that passive continental margins can be classified into two end members: magma-rich and magma-poor. Bearing seaward-dipping reflector sequences (SDRS) and highly mafic underplated high velocity lower crust (HVLC), the magma-rich margin is thought to be related to large igneous provinces (LIP) or mantle plume activity. Magma-poor margins have been drilled offshore Iberia and Newfoundland, where brittle faults cut through the whole crust and reach the upper mantle. Following seawater infiltration, the mantle was serpentinized and exhumed in the continent-ocean transition zone (COT). Later geophysical exploration and modeling suggested that in magma-poor margins lithosphere may break up in different styles, including uniform breakup, lower crust exhumation, or upper mantle exhumed at the COT, etc. The northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS) between longitude 114.5º and 116.5º hosts features that might be similar to both of the two end-members defined in the North Atlantic. Wide-angle seismic studies suggest that below the inner margin, crustal underplating of high velocity material is present, while syn-rift as well as post-rift intrusive features are visible and have in places been verified by industry drilling. However, the profound volcanism and associated SDRS formation are entirely lacking, and thus classification as a volcanic rifted margin can be ruled out. Instead, the COT exhibits a profound thinning of the continental crust towards the ocean crust of the SCS, showing some similarity to the Iberia type margin. The crustal thinning is caused by low-angle faults that have stretched the upper continental crust. There are indications of lower crustal flow toward the SCS. Alternatively, these extensional faults may have reached the lithospheric mantle and generated serpentinized material in a similar fashion as seen off Iberia. It will require deep drilling and sampling of characteristic basement units within the COT to distinguish. Four months of drilling by IODP to address this question is scheduled for February to June in 2017. The IODP drilling has the potential to support a third breakup mechanism theorized by modelling in addition to the two types drilled.

Fate of a perched crystal layer in a magma ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morse, S. A.

1992-01-01

The pressure gradients and liquid compressibilities of deep magma oceans should sustain the internal flotation of native crystals owing to a density crossover between crystal and liquid. Olivine at upper mantle depths near 250 km is considered. The behavior of a perched crystal layer is part of the general question concerning the fate of any transient crystal carried away from a cooling surface, whether this be a planetary surface or the roof of an intrusive magma body. For magma bodies thicker than a few hundred meters at modest crustal depths, the major cooling surface is the roof even when most solidification occurs at the floor. Importation of cool surroundings must also be invoked for the generation of a perched crystal layer in a magma ocean, but in this case the perched layer is deeply embedded in the hot part of the magma body, and far away from any cooling surface. Other aspects of this study are presented.

Magma interaction in the root of an arc batholith

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, T.; Robbins, V.; Clarke, G. L.; Daczko, N. R.; Piazolo, S.

2016-12-01

Fiordland, New Zealand, preserves extensive Cretaceous arc plutons, emplaced into parts of the Delamerian/Ross Orogen. Dioritic to gabbroic material emplaced at mid to lower crustal levels are exposed in the Malaspina Pluton (c. 1.2 GPa) and the Breaksea Orthogneiss (c. 1.8 GPa). Distinct magmatic pulses can be mapped in both of these plutons consistent with cycles of melt advection. Relationships are consistent with predictions from lower crustal processing zones (MASH and hot zones) considered important in the formation of Cordilleran margins. Metamorphic garnet growth is enhanced along magmatic contacts, such as where hornblende gabbronorite is cut by garnet-clinopyroxene-bearing diorite. Such features are consistent with cycles of incremental emplacement, younger magma having induced localised garnet granulite metamorphism in wall rock of older material. Temperature estimates and microstructures preserved in garnet granulite are consistent with sub-solidus, water-poor conditions in both the Malaspina and Breaksea Orthogneiss. The extent and conditions of the metamorphism implies conditions and duration was incapable of partially melting older wall rock material. The nature of interactions in intermediate to basic compositions are assessed in terms of magma genesis in the Cretaceous batholith. Most of the upper crustal felsic I-type magmatism along the margin being controlled by high-pressure garnet-clinopyroxene fractionation.

The PROTEUS Experiment: Active Source Seismic Imaging of the Crustal Magma Plumbing Structure of the Santorini Arc Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooft, E. E. E.; Morgan, J. V.; Nomikou, P.; Toomey, D. R.; Papazachos, C. V.; Warner, M.; Heath, B.; Christopoulou, M. E.; Lampridou, D.; Kementzetzidou, D.

2016-12-01

The goal of the PROTEUS seismic experiment (Plumbing Reservoirs Of The Earth Under Santorini) is to examine the entire crustal magma plumbing system beneath a continental arc volcano and determine the magma geometry and connections throughout the crust. These physical parameters control magma migration, storage, and eruption and inform the question of how physical and chemical processing of magma at arc volcanoes forms the andesitic rock compositions that dominate the lower continental crust. These physical parameters are also important to understand volcanic-tectonic interactions and geohazards. Santorini is ideal for these goals because the continental crust has been thinned by extension and so the deep magmatic system is more accessible, also it is geologically well studied. Since the volcano is a semi-submerged, it was possible to collect a unique 3D marine-land active source seismic dataset. During the PROTEUS experiment in November-December of 2015, we recorded 14,300 marine sound sources from the US R/V Langseth on 89 OBSIP short period ocean bottom seismometers and 60 German and 5 Greek land seismometers. The experiment was designed for high-density spatial sampling of the seismic wavefield to allow us to apply two state-of-the-art 3D inversion methods: travel time tomography and full waveform inversion. A preliminary travel time tomography model of the upper crustal seismic velocity structure of the volcano and surrounding region is presented in an accompanying poster. We also made marine geophysical maps of the seafloor using multi-beam bathymetry and of the gravity and magnetic fields. The new seafloor map reveals the detailed structure of the major fault system between Santorini and Amorgos, of associated landslides, and of newly discovered volcanic features. The PROTEUS project will provide new insights into the structure of the whole crustal magmatic system of a continental arc volcano and its evolution within the surrounding tectonic setting.

Investigating Magmatic Processes in the Lower Levels of Mantle-derived Magmatic Systems: The Age & Emplacement of the Kunene Anorthosite Complex (SW Angola)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, B.; Bybee, G. M.; Owen-Smith, T.; Lehmann, J.; Brower, A. M.; Ashwal, L. D.; Hill, C. M.

2017-12-01

Our understanding of mantle-derived magmatic systems has shifted from a notion of upper crustal, melt-dominated magma chambers that feed short-lived volcanic eruptions, to a view of more long-lived trans-crustal, mush-dominated systems. Proterozoic massif-type anorthosite systems are voluminous, plagioclase-dominated plutonic suites with ubiquitous intermediate compositions (An 50 ± 10) that represent mantle-derived magmas initially ponded at Moho depths and crystallized polybarically until emplacement at mid-crustal levels. Thus, these systems provide unique insight into magma storage and processing in the lower reaches of the magma mush column, where such interpretation has previously relied on cumulate xenoliths in lavas, geophysical data and experimental/numerical modeling. We present new CA-ID-TIMS ages and a series of detailed field observations from the largest Proterozoic anorthosite massif on Earth, the Kunene Anorthosite Complex (KAC) of SW Angola. Field structures indicate that (i) the bulk of the material was emplaced in the form of crystal mushes, as both plutons and sheet-like intrusions; (ii) prolonged magmatism led to cumulate disaggregation (block structure development) and remobilization, producing considerable textural heterogeneity; (iii) crystal-rich magmatic flow induced localized recrystallization and the development of protoclastic (mortar) textures; and (iv) late residual melts were able to migrate locally prior to complete solidification. Dating of pegmatitic pods entrained from cumulate zones at the base of the crust (1500 ± 13 Ma) and their host anorthosites (1375-1438 Ma) reveals time periods in the range of 60-120 Myr between the earliest products of the system and the final mushes emplaced at higher crustal levels. Therefore, the KAC represents a complex, mushy magmatic system that developed over a long period of time. Not only do these observations help in refining our understanding of Proterozoic anorthosite petrogenesis, they also allow us to place constraints on the types of magmatic processes that operate in the lower levels of other trans-crustal magmatic systems.

Magma traps and driving pressure: consequences for pluton shape and emplacement in an extensional regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogan, John P.; Price, Jonathan D.; Gilbert, M. Charles

1998-09-01

The level of emplacement and final form of felsic and mafic igneous rocks of the Wichita Mountains Igneous Province, southwestern Oklahoma, U.S.A. are discussed in light of magma driving pressure, lithostatic load, and crustal magma traps. Deposition of voluminous A-type rhyolites upon an eroded gabbroic substrate formed a subhorizontal strength anisotropy that acted as a crustal magma trap for subsequent rising felsic and mafic magma. Intruded along this crustal magma trap are the A-type sheet granites (length/thickness 100:1) of the Wichita Granite Group, of which the Mount Scott Granite sheet is typical, and smaller plutons of biotite bearing Roosevelt Gabbro. In marked contrast to the subhorizontal granite sheets, the gabbro plutons form more equant stocks with flat roofs and steep side walls. Late Diabase dikes cross-cut all other units, but accompanying basaltic flows are extremely rare in the volcanic pile. Based on magmastatic calculations, we draw the following conclusions concerning the level of emplacement and the shape of these intrusions. (1) Magma can rise to a depth at which the magma driving pressure becomes negligible. Magma that maintains a positive driving pressure at the surface has the potential to erupt. (2) Magma ascent may be arrested at a deeper level in the crust by a subhorizontal strength anisotropy (i.e. crustal magma trap) if the magma driving pressure is greater than or equal to the lithostatic load at the depth of the subhorizontal strength anisotropy. (3) Subhorizontal sheet-intrusions form along crustal magma traps when the magma driving pressure greatly exceeds the lithostatic load. Under such conditions, the magma driving pressure is sufficent to lift the overburden to create the necessary space for the intrusion. (4) Thicker steep-sided stocks or batholiths, with flat roofs, form at crustal magma traps when the magma driving pressure approximates that of the lithostatic load. Under these conditions, the necessary space for the intrusion must be created by other mechanisms (e.g. stoping). (5) Subvertical sheets (i.e. dikes) form when the magma driving pressure is less than the lithostatic load at the level of emplacement.

The volcanic-plutonic connection unveiled

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartung, E.; Caricchi, L.; Floess, D.; Wallis, S.; Harayama, S.

2017-12-01

Are upper crustal plutons solidified magma bodies or residues from extracted and erupted liquids? This remains one of the key questions to address to understand the construction and eruption of upper crustal magmatic systems. We have investigated the Takidani Pluton and contemporaneous volcanic deposits (Nyukawa PFD, Chayano Tuff and Ebisutoge PD) distributed around this crustal intrusion to understand whether they were sourced from this pluton. The Takidani Pluton is a good candidate because it contains petrographic and geochemical evidences for residual melt extraction, and pressure quenching associated with eruptive activity (Hartung et al., 2017). We analysed major and trace element concentrations of 18 plagioclase phenocrysts (core to rim) from the Takidani Pluton and Nyukawa-Chayano-Ebisutoge eruptions. Major elements were first analysed using an electron microprobe and trace elements were subsequently determined by laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry in the same spot. Plagioclase chemistry shows that the Chayano and Ebisutoge rhyolitic deposits are not petrogenetically related to either the Takidani Pluton or the Nyukawa PFD. However, plagioclase of the Nyukawa PDF and the Takidani Pluton show indistinguishable REE patterns suggesting a common source domain for plagioclase from the two units. Ebisutoge plagioclase grains commonly contain xenocrystic cores that have major and trace element compositions comparable to the plagioclase grains observed in the Takidani Pluton and Nyukawa PFD. Our data show that the Nyukawa and Takidani plagioclase are geochemically indistinguishable, suggesting that the Takidani pluton was the magma reservoir that fed this large eruptive unit (400 km3, Oikawa, 2003). The Ebisutoge magma was not extracted directly from the pluton, but interacted with Takidani-Nyukawa when it was still molten. We have no evidence to suggest that the Takidani Pluton was the source of either the Chayano Tuff or the Ebisutoge PD.

Genesis of late Early Cretaceous high-silica rhyolites in eastern Zhejiang Province, southeast China: A crystal mush origin with mantle input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ji-Heng; Yang, Jin-Hui; Chen, Jing-Yuan; Wu, Fu-Yuan; Wilde, Simon A.

2018-01-01

Voluminous Mesozoic felsic volcanic rocks and granites in southeastern China provide a unique opportunity for studying the role of crustal magmatism in the evolution and modification of the crust in the eastern Cathaysia Block. The high-silica rhyolites of the upper volcanic sequence in eastern Zhejiang Province were investigated, focusing on their genesis and their relationship with contemporaneous granites. Rhyolites in the Tiantai, Yongkang and Liucheng basins were dated as late Early Cretaceous (from 111 Ma to 106 Ma in age). These rocks contain a large proportion of inherited zircons of ca. 130 Ma, corresponding to the age of the lower volcanic sequence in the area. However, the zircons of different ages have similar ranges of oxygen and Hf isotopes, implying similarities in the magmas from which they were generated. The rhyolites of the upper sequence also resemble those of the lower sequence in terms of their geochemistry. It is concluded that the former were derived by reworking of magma mush formed during the earlier magmatic episode via fractionation of feldspars and accessory minerals, e.g., zircon. Fractionation took place within the magma crystal mush by extraction of interstitial melts and accumulation of residual mineral phases, aided by the emplacement of contemporaneous basaltic magmas at the base of the crust. Overall, the geochemical features of the volcanic rocks in southeastern China indicate that episodic magmatism and reworking of crystal mush were essential mechanisms that drove the evolution of the igneous rocks and the hence crustal architecture in this area.

The Fish Canyon magma body, San Juan volcanic field, Colorado: Rejuvenation and eruption of an upper-crustal batholith

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bachmann, Olivier; Dungan, M.A.; Lipman, P.W.

2002-01-01

More than 5000 km3 of nearly compositionally homogeneous crystalrich dacite (~68 wt % SiO2: ~45% Pl + Kfs + Qtz + Hbl + Bt + Spn + Mag + Ilm + Ap + Zrn + Po) erupted from the Fish Canyon magma body during three phases: (1) the pre-caldera Pagosa Peak Dacite (an unusual poorly fragmented pyroclastic deposit, ~ 200 km3); (2) the syn-collapse Fish Canyon Tuff (one of the largest known ignimbrites, ~ 5000 km3); (3) the post-collapse Nutras Creek Dacite (a volumetrically minor lava). The late evolution of the Fish Canyon magma is characterized by rejuvenation of a near-solidus upper-crustal intrusive body (mainly crystal mush) of batholithic dimensions. The necessary thermal input was supplied by a shallow intrusion of more mafic magma represented at the surface by sparse andesitic enclaves in late-erupted Fish Canyon Tuff and by the post-caldera Huerto Andesite. The solidified margins of this intrusion are represented by holocrystalline xenoliths with Fish Canyon mineralogy and mineral chemistry and widely dispersed partially remelted polymineralic aggregates, but dehydration melting was not an important mechanism in the rejuvenation of the Fish Canyon magma. Underlying mafic magma may have evolved H2O-F-S-Cl-rich fluids that fluxed melting in the overlying crystal mush. Manifestations of the late up-temperature magma evolution are: (1) resorbed quartz, as well as feldspars displaying a wide spectrum of textures indicative of both resorption and growth, including Rapakivi textures and reverse growth zoning (An27-28 to An32-33) at the margins of many plagioclase phenocrysts; (2) high Sr, Ba, and Eu contents in the high-SiO2 rhyolite matrix glass, which are inconsistent with extreme fractional crystallization of feldspar; (3) oscillatory and reverse growth zoning toward the margins of many euhedral hornblende phenocrysts (rimward increases from ~5??5-6 to 7??7-8??5 wt % Al2O3). Homogeneity in magma composition at the chamber-wide scale, contrasting with extreme textural and chemical complexities at the centimeter-millimeter scale, is consistent with a dynamic environment, wherein crystals with a variety of growth and resorption histories were juxtaposed shortly before eruption by convective currents.

Continentward-Dipping Normal Faults, Boudinage and Ductile Shear at Rifted Passive Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clerc, C. N.; Ringenbach, J. C.; Jolivet, L.; Ballard, J. F.

2017-12-01

Deep structures resulting from the rifting of the continental crust are now well imaged by seismic profiles. We present a series of recent industrial profiles that allow the identification of various rift-related geological processes such as crustal boudinage, ductile shear of the base of the crust and low-angle detachment faulting. Along both magma-rich and magma-poor rifted margins, we observe clear indications of ductile deformation of the deep continental crust. Large-scale shallow dipping shear zones are identified with a top-to-the-continent sense of shear. This sense of shear is consistent with the activity of the Continentward-Dipping Normal Faults (CDNF) that accommodate the extension in the upper crust. This pattern is responsible for an oceanward migration of the deformation and of the associated syn-tectonic deposits (sediments and/or volcanics). We discuss the origin of the Continentward-Dipping Normal Faults (CDNF) and investigate their implications and the effect of sediment thermal blanketing on crustal rheology. In some cases, low-angle shear zones define an anastomosed pattern that delineates boudin-like structures that seem to control the position and dip of upper crustal normal faults. We present some of the most striking examples from several locations (Uruguay, West Africa, South China Sea…), and discuss their rifting histories that differ from the classical models of oceanward-dipping normal faults.

Relative contributions of crust and mantle to generation of Campanian high-K calc-alkaline I-type granitoids in a subduction setting, with special reference to the Harşit Pluton, Eastern Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karsli, Orhan; Dokuz, Abdurrahman; Uysal, Ibrahim; Aydin, Faruk; Chen, Bin; Kandemir, Raif; Wijbrans, Jan

2010-10-01

We present elemental and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data for the magmatic suite (~79 Ma) of the Harşit pluton, from the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey), with the aim of determining its magma source and geodynamic evolution. The pluton comprises granite, granodiorite, tonalite and minor diorite (SiO2 = 59.43-76.95 wt%), with only minor gabbroic diorite mafic microgranular enclaves in composition (SiO2 = 54.95-56.32 wt%), and exhibits low Mg# (<46). All samples show a high-K calc-alkaline differentiation trend and I-type features. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns are fractionated [(La/Yb) n = 2.40-12.44] and display weak Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.30-0.76). The rocks are characterized by enrichment of LILE and depletion of HFSE. The Harşit host rocks have weak concave-upward REE patterns, suggesting that amphibole and garnet played a significant role in their generation during magma segregation. The host rocks and their enclaves are isotopically indistinguishable. Sr-Nd isotopic data for all of the samples display I Sr = 0.70676-0.70708, ɛ Nd(79 Ma) = -4.4 to -3.3, with T DM = 1.09-1.36 Ga. The lead isotopic ratios are (206Pb/204Pb) = 18.79-18.87, (207Pb/204Pb) = 15.59-15.61 and (208Pb/204Pb) = 38.71-38.83. These geochemical data rule out pure crustal-derived magma genesis in a post-collision extensional stage and suggest mixed-origin magma generation in a subduction setting. The melting that generated these high-K granitoidic rocks may have resulted from the upper Cretaceous subduction of the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan oceanic slab beneath the Eurasian block in the region. The back-arc extensional events would have caused melting of the enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle and formed mafic magma. The underplating of the lower crust by mafic magmas would have played a significant role in the generation of high-K magma. Thus, a thermal anomaly induced by underplated basic magma into a hot crust would have caused partial melting in the lower part of the crust. In this scenario, the lithospheric mantle-derived basaltic melt first mixed with granitic magma of crustal origin at depth. Then, the melts, which subsequently underwent a fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation processes, could ascend to shallower crustal levels to generate a variety of rock types ranging from diorite to granite. Sr-Nd isotope modeling shows that the generation of these magmas involved ~65-75% of the lower crustal-derived melt and ~25-35% of subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Further, geochemical data and the Ar-Ar plateau age on hornblende, combined with regional studies, imply that the Harşit pluton formed in a subduction setting and that the back-arc extensional period started by least ~79 Ma in the Eastern Pontides.

Incremental growth of an upper crustal, A-type pluton, Argentina: Evidence of a re-used magma pathway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alasino, Pablo H.; Larrovere, Mariano A.; Rocher, Sebastián; Dahlquist, Juan A.; Basei, Miguel A. S.; Memeti, Valbone; Paterson, Scott; Galindo, Carmen; Macchioli Grande, Marcos; da Costa Campos Neto, Mario

2017-07-01

Carboniferous igneous activity in the Sierra de Velasco (NW Argentina) led to the emplacement of several magmas bodies at shallow levels (< 2 kbar). One of these, the San Blas intrusive complex formed over millions of years (≤ 2-3 m.y.) through three periods of magma additions that are characterized by variations in magma sources and emplacement style. The main units, mostly felsic granitoids, have U-Pb zircon crystallization ages within the error range. From older to younger (based on cross-cutting relationships) intrusive units are: (1) the Asha unit (340 ± 7 Ma): a tabular to funnel-shaped intrusion emplaced during a regional strain field dominated by WSW-ENE shortening with contacts discordant to regional host-rock structures; (2) the San Blas unit (344 ± 2 Ma): an approximate cylindrical-shaped intrusion formed by multiple batches of magmas, with a roughly concentric fabric pattern and displacement of the host rock by ductile flow of about 35% of shortening; and (3) the Hualco unit (346 ± 6 Ma): a small body with a possible mushroom geometry and contacts concordant to regional host-rock structures. The magma pulses making up these units define two groups of A-type granitoids. The first group includes the peraluminous granitic rocks of the Asha unit generated mostly by crustal sources (εNdt = - 5.8 and εHft in zircon = - 2.9 to - 4.5). The second group comprises the metaluminous to peraluminous granitic rocks of the youngest units (San Blas and Hualco), which were formed by a heterogeneous mixture between mantle and crustal sources (εNdt = + 0.6 to - 4.8 and εHft in zircon = + 3 to - 6). Our results provide a comprehensive view of the evolution of an intrusive complex formed from multiple non-consanguineous magma intrusions that utilized the same magmatic plumbing system during downward transfer of host materials. As the plutonic system matures, the ascent of magmas is governed by the visco-elastic flow of host rock that for younger batches include older hot magma mush. The latter results in ductile downward flow of older, during rise of younger magma. Such complexes may reflect the plutonic portion of volcanic centers where chemically distinct magmas are erupted.

Crustal contamination and sulfide immiscibility history of the Permian Huangshannan magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit, East Tianshan, NW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Ya-Jing; Qin, Ke-Zhang; Tang, Dong-Mei; Feng, Hong-Ye; Xue, Sheng-Chao

2016-11-01

The Huangshannan mafic-ultramafic intrusion is a Permian Ni-Cu sulfide-bearing intrusion in the southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The intrusion consists of an ultramafic unit, which is composed of lherzolite and olivine websterite, and a mafic unit, which is composed of olivine gabbronorite, gabbronorite and leuco-gabbronorite. This intrusion was formed by two separate pulses of magma: a more primitive magma for the early ultramafic unit and a more evolved magma for the late mafic unit. U-Pb isotope geochronology of zircon from the mafic unit yields an age of 278 ± 2 Ma. According to its olivine and Cr-rich spinel compositions, the estimated parental magma of lherzolite for the Huangshannan intrusion has 12.4 wt.% MgO, indicating picritic affinity. Fractional crystallization modeling results and the presence of rounded sulfide inclusions in an olivine crystal (Fo 86.7) indicate that sulfide immiscibility was achieved at the beginning of olivine fractionation. Co-magmatic zircon crystals from gabbronorite have a δ18O value close to 6.5‰, which is 1.2‰ higher than the typical mantle value and suggests significant crustal contamination (∼20%). The positive εHf(t) values of co-magmatic zircon (which vary from +9.2 to +15.3) and positive whole rock εNd(t) values (which vary from +4.7 to +7.8) also indicate that the parental magma was derived from a depleted mantle source and contaminated by 5-20% juvenile arc crust and then by ∼5% upper crustal materials. However, modeling results of sulfur content at sulfide saturation reveal that such a large amount of crustal contamination is not sufficient to trigger sulfide saturation in the parental magma, which strongly suggests that external sulfur addition, probably during contamination, has played a critical role in causing sulfide immiscibility. Furthermore, the arc magmatism geochemical signatures of the Huangshannan intrusion, such as significant Nb and Ta depletion relative to La and low Ca contents in olivine, are interpreted as the result of slab-derived fluid modification during previous subduction. We speculate that the contamination of juvenile arc crust may have occurred in the lower crust because of picritic magma underplating and that partial melting in the mantle was triggered by the impingement of a mantle plume or lithosphere delamination in a post-subduction environment.

Density of alkaline magmas at crustal and upper mantle conditions by X-ray absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifert, R.; Malfait, W.; Petitgirard, S.; Sanchez-Valle, C.

2011-12-01

Silicate melts are essential components of igneous processes and are directly involved in differentiation processes and heat transfer within the Earth. Studies of the physical properties of magmas (e.g., density, viscosity, conductivity, etc) are however challenging and experimental data at geologically relevant pressure and temperature conditions remain scarce. For example, there is virtually no data on the density at high pressure of alkaline magmas (e.g., phonolites) typically found in continental rift zone settings. We present in situ density measurements of alkaline magmas at crustal and upper mantle conditions using synchrotron X-ray absorption. Measurements were conducted on ID27 beamline at ESRF using a panoramic Paris-Edinburgh Press (PE Press). The starting material is a synthetic haplo-phonolite glass similar in composition to the Plateau flood phonolites from the Kenya rift [1]. The glass was synthesized at 1673 K and 2.0 GPa in a piston-cylinder apparatus at ETH Zurich and characterized using EPMA, FTIR and density measurements. The sample contains less than 200 ppm water and is free of CO2. Single-crystal diamond cylinders (Øin = 0.5 mm, height = 1 mm) were used as sample containers and placed in an assembly formed by hBN spacers, a graphite heater and a boron epoxy gasket [2]. The density was determined as a function of pressure (1.0 to 3.1 GPa) and temperature (1630-1860 K) from the X-ray absorption contrast at 20 keV between the sample and the diamond capsule. The molten state of the sample during the data collection was confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. Pressure and temperature were determined simultaneously from the equation of state of hBN and platinum using the the double isochor method [3].The results are combined with available density data at room conditions to derive the first experimental equation of state (EOS) of phonolitic liquids at crustal and upper mantle conditions. We will compare our results with recent reports of the density of dry and hydrous rhyolite melts (Malfait et al., this meeting) and discuss compositional effects on the density of melts and the implications for magmatic processes in the lower crust and magma chambers. [1] Hay D.E., Wendlandt R.F., 1995, J.Geophys. Res. 100, 401-410. [2] van Kan Parker M. et al., 2010, High Pressure Research, 30: 2, 332 - 341. [3] W.A. Chrichton, M. Mezouar, 2002, High Temp.-High Press, 34, 235.

Noble gas systematics of the Skaergaard intrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, F.; Farley, K. A.; Taylor, H. P.

2017-12-01

The noble gas isotopic compositions of olivines from the Skaergaard layered mafic intrusion in Greenland reveal that magmas readily exchange noble gases with their environment after emplacement. Although Skaergaard magmas are thought to have derived from the upper mantle, all of the olivine separates we analyzed have 3He/4He ratios less than that of the upper mantle ( 8 Ra, where Ra = 3He/4He of the atmosphere, 1.39 x 10-6). This suggests that crustal and/or atmospheric noble gases have contaminated all Skaergaard magmas to some extent. We obtained the highest 3He/4He ratios ( 2 Ra) from olivines found in the lowermost exposed layers of the intrusion away from the margins. Excess radiogenic 4He (indicated by Ra<1) along the margin of the intrusion indicates that noble gases from the Archean host-rock were incorporated into the cooling magma chamber, probably via magmatic assimilation. Noble gases in olivines from the upper portions of the intrusion have atmospheric isotopic compositions, but higher relative helium abundances than the atmosphere. We suggest that post-crystallization hydrothermal circulation introduced atmosphere-derived noble gases into uppermost layers of the intrusion. Such high temperature exchanges of volatiles between plutons and their immediate surroundings may help explain why so few mantle-derived rocks retain mantle-like noble gas signatures.

Continental crustal formation and recycling: Evidence from oceanic basalts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, A. D.; Tarney, J.; Norry, M. J.

1988-01-01

Despite the wealth of geochemical data for subduction-related magma types, and the clear importance of such magmas in the creation of continental crust, there is still no concensus about the relative magnitudes of crustal creation versus crustal destruction (i.e., recycling of crust into the mantle). The role of subducted sediment in the formation of the arc magmas is now well documented; but what proportion of sediment is taken into the deeper mantle? Integrated isotopic and trace element studies of magmas erupted far from presently active subduction zones, in particular basaltic rocks erupted in the ocean basins, are providing important information about the role of crustal recycling. By identifying potential chemical tracers, it is impossible to monitor the effects of crustal recycling, and produce models predicting the mass of material recycled into the mantle throughout long periods of geological time.

Two mantle sources, two plumbing systems: Tholeiitic and alkaline magmatism of the Maymecha River basin, Siberian flood volcanic province

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arndt, N.; Chauvel, C.; Czamanske, G.; Fedorenko, V.

1998-01-01

Rocks of two distinctly different magma series are found in a ???4000-m-thick sequence of lavas and tuffs in the Maymecha River basin which is part of the Siberian flood-volcanic province. The tholeiites are typical low-Ti continental flood basalts with remarkably restricted, petrologically evolved compositions. They have basaltic MgO contents, moderate concentrations of incompatible trace elements, moderate fractionation of incompatible from compatible elements, distinct negative Ta(Nb) anomalies, and ??Nd values of 0 to + 2. The primary magmas were derived from a relatively shallow mantle source, and evolved in large crustal magma chambers where they acquired their relatively uniform compositions and became contaminated with continental crust. An alkaline series, in contrast, contains a wide range of rock types, from meymechite and picrite to trachytes, with a wide range of compositions (MgO from 0.7 to 38 wt%, SiO2 from 40 to 69 wt%, Ce from 14 to 320 ppm), high concentrations of incompatible elements and extreme fractionation of incompatible from compatible elements (Al2O3/TiO2 ??? 1; Sm/Yb up to 11). These rocks lack Ta(Nb) anomalies and have a broad range of ??Nd values, from -2 to +5. The parental magmas are believed to have formed by low-degree melting at extreme mantle depths (>200 km). They bypassed the large crustal magma chambers and ascended rapidly to the surface, a consequence, perhaps, of high volatile contents in the primary magmas. The tholeiitic series dominates the lower part of the sequence and the alkaline series the upper part; at the interface, the two types are interlayered. The succession thus provides evidence of a radical change in the site of mantle melting, and the simultaneous operation of two very different crustal plumbing systems, during the evolution of this flood-volcanic province. ?? Springer-Verlag 1998.

Intrusive rocks of the Wadi Hamad Area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt: Change of magma composition with maturity of Neoproterozoic continental island arc and the role of collisional plutonism in the differentiation of arc crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basta, Fawzy F.; Maurice, Ayman E.; Bakhit, Bottros R.; Azer, Mokhles K.; El-Sobky, Atef F.

2017-09-01

The igneous rocks of the Wadi Hamad area are exposed in the northernmost segment of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS). These rocks represent part of crustal section of Neoproterozoic continental island arc which is intruded by late to post-collisional alkali feldspar granites. The subduction-related intrusives comprise earlier gabbro-diorites and later granodiorites-granites. Subduction setting of these intrusives is indicated by medium- to high-K calc-alkaline affinity, Ta-Nb troughs on the spider diagrams and pyroxene and biotite compositions similar to those crystallized from arc magmas. The collisional alkali feldspar granites have high-K highly fractionated calc-alkaline nature and their spider diagrams almost devoid of Ta-Nb troughs. The earlier subduction gabbro-diorites have lower alkalis, LREE, Nb, Zr and Hf values compared with the later subduction granodiorites-granites, which display more LILE-enriched spider diagrams with shallower Ta-Nb troughs, reflecting variation of magma composition with arc evolution. The later subduction granitoids were generated by lower degree of partial melting of mantle wedge and contain higher arc crustal component compared with the earlier subduction gabbro-diorites. The highly silicic alkali feldspar granites represent extensively evolved melts derived from partial melting of intermediate arc crustal sources during the collisional stage. Re-melting of arc crustal sources during the collisional stage results in geochemical differentiation of the continental arc crust and the silicic collisional plutonism drives the composition of its upper part towards that of mature continental crust.

Shallow velocity structure above the Socorro Magma Body from ambient noise tomography using the large-N Sevilleta array, central Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worthington, L. L.; Ranasinghe, N. R.; Schmandt, B.; Jiang, C.; Finlay, T. S.; Bilek, S. L.; Aster, R. C.

2017-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB) is one of the largest recognized active mid-crustal magma intrusions globally. Inflation of the SMB drives sporadically seismogenic uplift at rates of up to of few millimeters per year. We examine the upper crustal structure of the northern section of the SMB region using ambient noise seismic data collected from the Sevilleta Array and New Mexico Tech (NMT) seismic network to constrain basin structure and identify possible upper crustal heterogeneities caused by heat flow and/or fluid or magma migration to shallower depths. The Sevilleta Array comprised 801 vertical-component Nodal seismic stations with 10-Hz seismometers deployed within the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in the central Rio Grande rift north of Socorro, New Mexico, for a period of 12 days during February 2015. Five short period seismic stations from the NMT network located south of the Sevilleta array are also used to improve the raypath coverage outside the Sevilleta array. Inter-station ambient noise cross-correlations were computed from all available 20-minute time windows and stacked to obtain estimates of the vertical component Green's function. Clear fundamental mode Rayleigh wave energy is observed from 3 to 6 s period. Beamforming indicates prominent noise sources from the southwest, near Baja California, and the southeast, in the Gulf of Mexico. The frequency-time analysis method was implemented to measure fundamental mode Rayleigh wave phase velocities and the resulting inter-station travel times were inverted to obtain 2-D phase velocity maps. One-dimensional sensitivity kernels indicate that the Rayleigh wave phase velocity maps are sensitive to a depth interval of 1 to 8 km, depending on wave period. The maps show (up to 40%) variations in phase velocity within the Sevilleta Array, with the largest variations found for periods of 5-6 seconds. Holocene to upper Pleistocene, alluvial sediments found in the Socorro Basin consistently show lower phase velocities than the basin-bounding ranges. Two areas of localized low velocities will be the focus of future work and interpretation. One low velocity zone appears to be co-located with the area of maximum InSAR-observed uplift related to the SMB. A second low velocity zone surrounds the Paleogene-aged Black Butte Volcano.

S-type granitic magmas—petrogenetic issues, models and evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clemens, J. D.

2003-04-01

Despite a perception that it represents a perverse divergence, it is perfectly possible to believe in the existence of S- and I-type granites (and the implications for the nature of their protoliths), and to disbelieve in the applicability of the restite-unmixing model for chemical variation in granitic magmas. White and Chappell erected the S-I classification with impeccable validity. The isotopic evidence demands contrasting source reservoirs for S- and I-type granitic magmas. However, the major advance was not the classification, but the recognition that highly contrasting parental materials must be involved in the genesis of granitic magmas. The restite-unmixing model is commonly seen as a companion to the S-I classification, but it is really a separate issue. This model implies that the compositions of granites 'image' those of their source rocks in a simple way. However, there are other equally valid models that can explain the data, and none of them represents a unique solution. The most cogent explanation for the high-grade metasedimentary enclaves in most S-type granites is that they represent mid-crustal xenoliths; restitic enclaves are either rare or absent. Inherited zircons in S-type rocks are certainly restitic. However, the occurrence of a substantial restitic zircon population does not imply an equally substantial restitic component in the rest of the rock. Zircon and zirconium behaviours are controlled by disequilibrium and kinetics, and Zr contents of granitic rocks can rarely be used to infer magma temperatures. Since the dominant ages among inherited zircons in Lachlan Fold Belt (LFB) S-type granites are Ordovician and Proterozoic, it seems likely that crust of this age, but geochemically different from the exposed rocks, not only underlies much of the LFB but also forms a component in the granite magma sources. The evidence is overwhelming that the dark, microgranular enclaves that occur in both S- and I-type granites are igneous in origin. They represent globules of quenched, more mafic magma mingled and modified by exchange with the host granitic magma. However, magma mixing does not appear to be a significant process affecting the chemical evolution of the host magmas. Likewise, the multicomponent mixing models erected for some granitic rock suites are mathematically nonunique and, in some cases, violate constraints from isotopic studies. S- and I-type magmas commonly retain their distinct identities. This suggests limited source mixing, limited magma mixing and limited wall-rock assimilation. Though intermediate types certainly exist, they are probably relatively minor in volume. Crystal fractionation probably plays the major role in the differentiation of very many granitic magmas, including most S-types, especially those emplaced at high crustal levels or in the volcanic environment. Minor mechanisms include magma mixing, wall-rock assimilation and restite unmixing. Isotopic variations within plutons and in granite suites could be caused by source heterogeneities, magma mixing, assimilation and even by isotopic disequilibrium. However, source heterogeneity, coupled with the inefficiency of magma mixing is probably the major cause of observed heterogeneity. Normal geothermal gradients are seldom sufficient to provide the necessary heat for partial melting of the crust, and crustal thickening likewise fails to provide sufficient heat. Generally, the mantle must be the major heat source. This might be provided through mantle upwelling and crustal thinning, and possibly through the intra- and underplating of mafic magmas. Upper crustal extension seems to have been common in regions undergoing granitic magmatism. Migmatites probably provide poor analogues of granite source regions because they are mostly formed by fluid-present reactions. Granitic magmas are mostly formed by fluid-absent processes. Where we do see rare evidence for arrested fluid-absent partial melting, the melt fraction is invariably concentrated into small shear zones, veinlets and small dykes. Thus, it seems likely that dyking is important in transporting granitic magma on a variety of scales and at many crustal levels. However, one major missing link in the chain is the mechanism by which melt fractions, in small-scale segregations occurring over a wide area, can be gathered and focused to efficiently feed much wider-spaced major magma conduits. Answers may lie in the geometry of the melting zones and in the tendency of younger propagating fractures to curve toward and merge with older ones. Self-organization almost certainly plays a role.

Andesites from northeastern Kanaga Island, Aleutians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brophy, James G.

1990-04-01

Kanaga island is located in the central Aleutian island arc. Northeastern Kanaga is a currently active late Tertiary to Recent calc-alkaline volcanic complex. Basaltic andesite to andesite lavas record three episodes (series) of volcanic activity. Series I and Series II lavas are all andesite while Series III lavas are basaltic andesite to andesite. Four Series II andesites contain abundant quenched magmatic inclusions ranging in composition from high-MgO low-alumina basalt to low-MgO highalumina basalt. The spectrum of lava compositions is due primarily to fractional crystallization of a parental low-MgO high-alumina basalt but with variable degrees of crustal contamination and magma mixing. The earliest Series I lavas represent mixing between high-alumina basalt and silicic andesite with maximum SiO2 contents of 65 67 wt %. Later Series I and all Series II lavas are due to mixing of andesite magmas of similar composition. The maximum SiO2 content of the pre-mixed andesites magmas is estimated at 60 63 wt %. The youngest lavas (Series III) are all non-mixed and have maximum estimated SiO2 contents of 59 wt %. The earliest Series I lavas contain a significant crustal component while all later lavas do not. It is concluded that the maximum SiO2 contents of silicic magmas, the contribution of crustal material to silicic magma generation, and the role of magma mixing all decrease with time. Furthermore, silicic magmas generated by fractional crystallization at this volcanic center have a maximum SiO2 content of 63 wt %. All of these features have also been documented at the central Aleutian Cold Bay Volcanic Center (Brophy 1987). Based on data from these two centers a model of Aleutian calc-alkaline magma chamber development is proposed. The main features are: (1) a single low pressure magma chamber is continuously supplied by primitive low-alumina basalt; (2) non-primary high-alumina basalt is formed along the chamber margins by selective gravitational settling of olivine and clinopyroxene and retention of plagioclase; (3) sidewall crystallization accompanied by crustal melting produces buoyant silicic (>63 wt % SiO2) liquids that pond at the top of the chamber, and; (4) continued sidewall crystallization, now isolated from the chamber wall, produces silicic liquids with ≤63 wt % SiO2 that increase the thickness and lowers the overall SiO2 content of the upper silicic zone. It is suggested that the maximum SiO2 content of 63% imposed on fractionation-generated magmas is due to a rheological barrier that prohibits the extraction of more silicic liquids from a crystal-liquid mush along the chamber wall.

Modulation of magmatic processes by carbon dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caricchi, L.; Sheldrake, T. E.; Blundy, J. D.

2017-12-01

Volatile solubility in magmas increases with pressure, although the solubility of CO2 is much lower than that of H2O. Consequently, magmas rising from depth release CO2-rich fluids, which inevitably interact with H2O-poor magmas in the upper crust (CO2-flushing). CO2-flushing triggers the exsolution of H2O-rich fluids, leading to an increase of volume and magma crystallisation. While the analyses of eruptive products demonstrates that this process operates in virtually all magmatic system, its impact on magmatic and volcanic processes has not been quantified. Here we show that depending on the initial magma crystallinity, and the depth of magma storage, CO2-flushing can lead to volcanic eruptions or promote conditions that favour the impulsive release of mineralising fluids. Our calculations show that the interaction between a few hundred ppm of carbonic fluids, and crystal-poor magmas stored at shallow depths, produces rapid pressurisation that can potentially lead to an eruption. Further addition of CO2 increases magma compressibility and crystallinity, reducing the potential for volcanic activity, promoting the formation of ore deposits. Increasing the depth of fluid-magma interaction dampens the impact of CO2-flushing on the pressurisation of a magma reservoir. CO2-flushing may result in surface inflation and increases in surface CO2 fluxes, which are commonly considered signs of an impending eruption, but may not necessarily result in eruption depending on the initial crystallnity and depth of the magmatic reservoir. We propose that CO2-flushing is a powerful agent modulating the pressurisation of magma reservoirs and the release of mineralising fluids from upper crustal magma reservoirs.

Origin and potential geothermal significance of China Hat and other late Pleistocene topaz rhyolite lava domes of the Blackfoot Volcanic Field, SE Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCurry, M. O.; Pearson, D. M.; Welhan, J. A.; Kobs-Nawotniak, S. E.; Fisher, M. A.

2014-12-01

The Snake River Plain and neighboring regions are well known for their high heat flow and robust Neogene-Quaternary tectonic and magmatic activity. Interestingly, however, there are comparatively few surficial manifestations of geothermal activity. This study is part of a renewed examination of this region as a possible hidden or blind geothermal resource. We present a testable, integrated volcanological, petrogenetic, tectonic and hydrothermal conceptual model for 57 ka China Hat and cogenetic topaz rhyolite lava domes of the Blackfoot Volcanic Field. This field is well suited for analysis as a blind resource because of its distinctive combination of (1) young bimodal volcanism, petrogenetic evidence of shallow magma storage and evolution, presence of coeval extension, voluminous travertine deposits, and C- and He-isotopic evidence of active magma degassing; (2) a paucity of hot springs or other obvious indicators of a geothermal resource in the immediate vicinity of the lava domes; and (3) proximity to a region of high crustal heat flow, high-T geothermal fluids at 2.5-5 km depth and micro-seismicity characterized by its swarming nature. Eruptions of both basalt and rhyolite commonly evolve from minor phreatomagmatic to effusive. In our model, transport of both magmatic and possible deep crustal aqueous fluids may be controlled by preexisting crustal structures, including west-dipping thrust faults. Geochemical evolution of rhyolite magma is dominated by mid- to upper-crustal fractional crystallization (with pre-eruption storage and phenocryst formation at ~14 km). Approximately 1.2 km3 of topaz rhyolite have been erupted since 1.4 Ma, yielding an average eruption rate of 0.8 km3/m.y. Given reasonable assumptions of magma cumulate formation and eruption rates, and initial and final volatile concentrations, we infer average H2O and CO2 volatile fluxes from the rhyolite source region of ~2MT/year and 340 T/day, respectively. Lithium flux may be comparable to CO2.

Magma-poor vs. magma-rich continental rifting and breakup in the Labrador Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouiza, M.; Paton, D.

2017-12-01

Magma-poor and magma-rich rifted margins show distinct structural and stratigraphic geometries during the rift to breakup period. In magma-poor margins, crustal stretching is accommodated mainly by brittle faulting and the formation of wide rift basins shaped by numerous graben and half-graben structures. Continental breakup and oceanic crust accretion are often preceded by a localised phase of (hyper-) extension where the upper mantle is embrittled, serpentinized, and exhumed to the surface. In magma-rich margins, the rift basin is narrow and extension is accompanied by a large magmatic supply. Continental breakup and oceanic crust accretion is preceded by the emplacement of a thick volcanic crust juxtaposing and underplating a moderately thinned continental crust. Both magma-poor and magma-rich rifting occur in response to lithospheric extension but the driving forces and processes are believed to be different. In the former extension is assumed to be driven by plate boundary forces, while in the latter extension is supposed to be controlled by sublithospheric mantle dynamics. However, this view fails in explaining observations from many Atlantic conjugate margins where magma-poor and magma-rich segments alternate in a relatively abrupt fashion. This is the case of the Labrador margin where the northern segment shows major magmatic supply during most of the syn-rift phase which culminate in the emplacement of a thick volcanic crust in the transitional domain along with high density bodies underplating the thinned continental crust; while the southern segment is characterized mainly by brittle extension, mantle seprentinization and exhumation prior to continental breakup. In this work, we use seismic and potential field data to describe the crustal and structural architectures of the Labrador margin, and investigate the tectonic and mechanical processes of rifting that may have controlled the magmatic supply in the different segments of the margin.

Seismic images of multiple magma sills beneath the East Pacific Rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marjanovic, M.; Carbotte, S. M.; Carton, H. D.; Mutter, J. C.; Nedimovic, M. R.; Canales, J.

2013-12-01

Along fast and intermediate spreading centers, thin and narrow axial magma lenses (AMLs) are detected beneath much of the ridge axis, and the notion that the AML is the primary melt reservoir for dike intrusions and volcanic eruptions that build the upper crust is commonly accepted. However the role of the AML in construction of the lower crust is still actively debated. Some models based on geochemistry and structural observations from ophiolites suggest that formation of the lower crustal gabbro section takes place in situ, from multiple small magma sills, with the AML being the shallowest of these. Here, we present new observations from multichannel seismic data collected in 2008 along the East Pacific Rise (EPR) for seismic reflectors below the AML or sub-axial magma lens (SAML). The most prominent SAML events are found between latitudes 9°20' and 9°56'N, where they appear as moderately bright, discontinuous reflectors, at ~ 50 to 300 ms (~ 200-600 m) below the AML. From an analysis of the characteristics of these events, we rule out possible 'artifact' origins for the SAML including, seafloor side scattering, out-of-plane imaging of the AML or other crustal horizons, internal multiples, and the presence of a P-to-S converted phase (PAMLS). We interpret these deep melt lenses to have a low crystalline component (i.e. they are mostly molten). Disruptions in the SAML reflector, represented by relatively abrupt steps in two-way travel time are collocated with small-scale discontinuities in the AML and further support the notion of crustal accretion through small magmatic units. In addition, within the area of documented volcanic eruptions in 1991-1992 and 2005-2006, two prominent gaps centered at 9°46' and 9°50.5' N in the SAML reflectors are identified. We hypothesize that magma from these deeper lenses have also contributed to the eruption, implying hydraulic connectivity between the AML and SAMLs during eruption events. We suggest that the SAMLs play an important role in eruption triggering and processes of magma lens replenishment and magma fractionation beneath this fast spreading ridge.

Monogenetic Arc Volcanism in the Central Andes: The "Hidden" Mafic Component in the Land of Andesite and Ignimbrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Alderwerelt, B. M.; Ukstins Peate, I.; Ramos, F. C.

2016-12-01

Faulting in the upper crust of the Central Andes has provided passage for small volumes of mafic magma to reach the surface, providing a window into petrogenetic processes in the region's deep crust and upper mantle. Mafic lavas are rare in the Central Andean region dominated by intermediate-composition arc volcanism and massive sheets of silicic ignimbrite, and provide key data on magmatic origin, evolution, and transport. This work characterizes fault-controlled, within-arc monogenetic eruptive centers representative of the most mafic volcanism in the Altiplano-Puna region of the Andes since (at least) the Mesozoic. Olivine-phyric basaltic andesite (54 wt% SiO2, 7.3 wt% MgO) at Cerro Overo maar and associated dome, La Albóndiga Grande, and an olivine-clinopyroxene flow (53 wt% SiO2, 6.7 wt% MgO) from Cordón de Puntas Negras have been erupted at the intersection of regional structural features and the modern volcanic arc. Bulk magma chemistry, radiogenic isotopes, and microanalyses of mineral and melt inclusion composition provide insight on the composition(s) of mafic magmas being delivered to the lowermost crust and the deep crustal processes which shape central Andean magma. Bulk major and trace elements follow regional arc differentiation trends and are clearly modified by crustal magmatic processes. In contrast, microanalyses reveal a much richer history with olivine-hosted melt inclusions recording multiple distinct magmas, including potential primary melts. Single crystal olivine 87Sr/86Sr from Cerro Overo (0.7041-0.7071) define a broader range than whole rock (0.7062-0.7065), indicating preservation of juvenile melt in olivine-hosted inclusions lost at the whole rock scale. Mineral chemistry (via EMPA) P-T calculations define a petrogenetic history for these endmember lavas. Field mapping, bulk chemistry, and microanalyses outline the generation, storage, transportation, and eventual eruption of the "hidden" mafic component of the Andean arc.

Seismic Forecasting of Eruptions at Dormant StratoVolcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, R. A.

2015-12-01

Seismic monitoring data provide important constraints on tracking magmatic ascent and eruption. Based on direct experience with over 25 and review of over 10 additional eruption sequences at 24 volcanoes, we have identified 4 phases of precursory seismicity. 1) Deep (>20 km) low frequency (DLF) earthquakes occur near the base of the crust as magma rises toward crustal reservoirs. This seismicity is the most difficult to observe, owing to generally small magnitudes (M<2.5) the significant depth. 2) Distal volcano-tectonic (DVT) earthquakes occur on tectonic faults from a 2 to 30+ km distance laterally from (not beneath) the eventual eruption site as magma intrudes into and rises out of upper crustal reservoirs to depths of 2-3 km. A survey of 111 eruptions of 83 previously dormant volcanoes, (including all eruptions of VEI >4 since 1955) shows they were all preceded by significant DVT seismicity, usually felt. This DVT seismicity is easily observed owing to magnitudes generally reaching M>3.5. The cumulative DVT energy correlates to the intruding magma volume. 3) Low frequency (LF) earthquakes, LF tremor and contained explosions occur as magma interacts with the shallow hydrothermal system (<2 km depth), while the distal seismicity dies off.4) Shortly after this, repetitive self-similar proximal seismicity may occur and may dominate the seismic records as magma rises to the surface. We present some examples of this seismic progression to demonstrate that data from a single short-period vertical station are often sufficient to forecast eruption onsets.

Vertically extensive and unstable magmatic systems: A unified view of igneous processes.

PubMed

Cashman, Katharine V; Sparks, R Stephen J; Blundy, Jonathan D

2017-03-24

Volcanoes are an expression of their underlying magmatic systems. Over the past three decades, the classical focus on upper crustal magma chambers has expanded to consider magmatic processes throughout the crust. A transcrustal perspective must balance slow (plate tectonic) rates of melt generation and segregation in the lower crust with new evidence for rapid melt accumulation in the upper crust before many volcanic eruptions. Reconciling these observations is engendering active debate about the physical state, spatial distribution, and longevity of melt in the crust. Here we review evidence for transcrustal magmatic systems and highlight physical processes that might affect the growth and stability of melt-rich layers, focusing particularly on conditions that cause them to destabilize, ascend, and accumulate in voluminous but ephemeral shallow magma chambers. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A fully coupled petrological geodynamical model to investigate the evolution of crustal magma chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, Lisa; Kaus, Boris J. P.; White, Richard W.

2017-04-01

The evolution of crustal magma chambers can be considered from a range of different physical and chemical perspectives. Most previous studies focus either on the petrological side (assuming only thermal effects and ignoring mechanics), or on the mechanical evolution (assuming a fixed melt chemistry). Here, we develop a method that fully couples petrological with geodynamic modelling, by combining a finite element code, MVEP2, with a thermodynamic modelling approach (Perple_X) that takes the evolving chemistry into account. The evolution of melt chemistry in a crustal magma chamber is analyzed by focusing on the effects of depth and temperature as well as size and shape of the magma chamber(s). The models show that each of these factors influences the melting behavior of rocks, the magma composition and their effects on the mechanics in the upper lithosphere. Interactions with country rocks (assimilation), ongoing rock depletion (fractional melting) and a possible open system behavior (fractional crystallization) and their effects on magma chemistry are taken into account. The chemical and mineralogical evolution of the melt source, composition (10 oxide component system) of intrusive and extrusive rocks as well as melt fraction and density are tracked on particles using a marker-in-cell-method in the geodynamic code. After each melt extraction event, the employed phase diagram is updated or recalculated based on the residuum chemistry that shifts the solidus to higher temperatures with sequential melt extraction. The resulting wide range in chemical compositions and the volume of intrusive and extrusive rocks are tracked in time and space over the melting region. The newly generated crust employs phase diagrams which are directly computed from the chemistry of extracted melts. Plutons are able to melt again as long as the local temperature is higher in the model than the solidus temperature in the employed phase diagram. As a result, our models make testable predictions on types of erupted lavas. We show an application to the plume-related intracontinental West Eifel volcanism (Germany), where our models explain a sudden change in K2O/Na2O-ratios in the volcanic rocks by a transition between melting a metasomatized and a pyrolitic mantle. We also show initial results from crustal melt extraction in an arc system.

A Dual-Porosity, In Situ Crystallisation Model For Fast-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridge Magma Chambers Based Upon Direct Observation From Hess Deep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, C. J.; Lissenberg, C. J.

2014-12-01

We propose a revised magma chamber model for fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges based upon a synthesis of new data from a complete section of lower crust from the East Pacific Rise, reconstructed from samples collected from the Hess Deep rift valley during cruise JC21. Our investigation includes detailed sampling across critical transitions in the upper part of the plutonic section, including the inferred axial melt lens (AML) within the dyke-gabbro transition. We find that an overall petrological progression, from troctolite and primitive gabbro at the base up into evolved (oxide) gabbro and gabbronorite at the top of the lower crustal section, is mirrored by a progressive upward chemical fractionation as recorded in bulk rock and mineral compositions. Crystallographic preferred orientations measured using EBSD show that the downward increase in deformation of mush required in crystal subsidence models is not observed. Together these observations are consistent only with a model in which crystallisation of upward migrating evolving melts occurs in situ in the lower crust. Over-enrichment in incompatible trace element concentrations and ratios above that possible by fractional crystallisation is ubiquitous. This implies redistribution of incompatible trace elements in the lower crust by low porosity, near-pervasive reactive porous flow of interstitial melt moving continuously upward through the mush pile. Mass balance calculations reveal a significant proportion of this trace element enriched melt is trapped at mid-crustal levels. Mineral compositions in the upper third to half of the plutonic section are too evolved to represent the crystal residues of MORB. Erupted MORB therefore must be fed from melts sourced in the deeper part of the crystal mush pile, and which must ascend rapidly without significant modification in the upper plutonics or AML. From physical models of mush processes we posit that primitive melts are transported through transient, high porosity channels generated by gravitational instabilities that periodically overturn and drain crystallising melt bodies (sills) from deeper levels of the lower crustal mush. We conclude that magma chambers are characterised by melt delivery to the deep crust, followed by in situ crystallisation of melts transported upwards via a dual-porosity system.

From a long-lived upper-crustal magma chamber to rapid porphyry copper emplacement: Reading the geochemistry of zircon crystals at Bajo de la Alumbrera (NW Argentina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buret, Yannick; von Quadt, Albrecht; Heinrich, Christoph; Selby, David; Wälle, Markus; Peytcheva, Irena

2016-09-01

The formation of world class porphyry copper deposits reflect magmatic processes that take place in a deeper and much larger underlying magmatic system, which provides the source of porphyry magmas, as well as metal and sulphur-charged mineralising fluids. Reading the geochemical record of this large magmatic source region, as well as constraining the time-scales for creating a much smaller porphyry copper deposit, are critical in order to fully understand and quantify the processes that lead to metal concentration within these valuable mineral deposits. This study focuses on the Bajo de la Alumbrera porphyry copper deposit in Northwest Argentina. The deposit is centred on a dacitic porphyry intrusive stock that was mineralised by several pulses of porphyry magma emplacement and hydrothermal fluid injections. To constrain the duration of ore formation, we dated zircons from four porphyry intrusions, including pre-, syn- and post-mineralisation porphyries based on intersection relations between successive intrusion and vein generations, using high precision CA-ID-TIMS. Based on the youngest assemblages of zircon grains, which overlap within analytical error, all four intrusions were emplaced within 29 ka, which places an upper limit on the total duration of hydrothermal mineralisation. Re/Os dating of hydrothermal molybdenite fully overlaps with this high-precision age bracket. However, all four porphyries contain zircon antecrysts which record protracted zircon crystallisation during the ∼200 ka preceding the emplacement of the porphyries. Zircon trace element variations, Ti-in-zircon temperatures, and Hf isotopic compositions indicate that the four porphyry magmas record a common geochemical and thermal history, and that the four intrusions were derived from the same upper-crustal magma chamber. Trace element zoning within single zircon crystals confirms a fractional crystallisation trend dominated by titanite and apatite crystallisation. However, zircon cathodoluminescence imaging reveals the presence of intermediate low luminescent (dark) growth zones in many crystals from all intrusions, characterised by anomalously high Th, U and REE concentrations and transient excursions in trace element ratios. A return to the same fractionation trend after this excursion excludes external compositional forcing such as magma mixing. Instead we interpret the ;dark-zones; to record zircon crystallisation during a transient event of rapid growth that resulted from mafic magma injection into the base of the magma chamber, releasing a CO2-rich vapour phase into the dacitic crystal mush. We propose that this vapour phase then migrated upwards to the apical part of the magma chamber from where it was expelled, together with successive batches of magma, to form the porphyry copper deposit within a short time-span of less than a few 10,000 years. The short duration of host rock emplacement, hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation presented in this study provides critical constraints on fluid storage in magma chambers and the genesis of large porphyry copper deposits.

Lower crustal mush generation and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakas, Ozge; Bachmann, Olivier; Dufek, Josef; Wright, Heather; Mangan, Margaret

2016-04-01

Recent seismic, field, and petrologic studies on several active and fossil volcanic settings provide important constraints on the time, volume, and melt fraction of their lower crustal magma bodies. However, these studies provide an incomplete picture of the time and length scales involved during their thermal and compositional evolution. What has been lacking is a thermal model that explains the temporal evolution and state of the lower crustal magma bodies during their growth. Here we use a two-dimensional thermal model and quantify the time and length scales involved in the long-term thermal and compositional evolution of the lower crustal mush regions underlying the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (USA), Mt St Helens (USA), and the Ivrea-Verbano Zone (North Italy). Although a number of seismic, tectonic, petrologic, and field studies explained the tectonic and magmatic evolution of these regions, controversy remains on their lower crustal heat sources, melt fraction, and origin of erupted magmas. Our thermal modeling results suggest that given a geologically reasonable range of basalt fluxes (~10^-3 to 10^-4 km3/yr), a long-lived (>105 yr) crystalline mush is formed in the lower crust. The state of the lower crustal mush is strongly influenced by the magma flux, crustal thickness, and water content of intruded basalt, giving an average melt fraction of <0.2 in thin crust with dry injections (Salton Sea Geothermal Field) and up to 0.4-0.5 in thicker crust with wet injections (Mt St Helens and Ivrea Zone). The melt in the lower crustal mush is mainly evolving through fractional crystallization of basalt with minor crustal assimilation in all regions, in agreement with isotopic studies. Quantification of the lower crustal mush regions is key to understanding the mass and heat balance in the crust, evolution of magma plumbing systems, and geothermal energy exploration.

Discovery of a magma chamber and faults beneath a Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal field.

PubMed

Singh, Satish C; Crawford, Wayne C; Carton, Hélène; Seher, Tim; Combier, Violaine; Cannat, Mathilde; Pablo Canales, Juan; Düsünür, Doga; Escartin, Javier; Miranda, J Miguel

2006-08-31

Crust at slow-spreading ridges is formed by a combination of magmatic and tectonic processes, with magmatic accretion possibly involving short-lived crustal magma chambers. The reflections of seismic waves from crustal magma chambers have been observed beneath intermediate and fast-spreading centres, but it has been difficult to image such magma chambers beneath slow-spreading centres, owing to rough seafloor topography and associated seafloor scattering. In the absence of any images of magma chambers or of subsurface near-axis faults, it has been difficult to characterize the interplay of magmatic and tectonic processes in crustal accretion and hydrothermal circulation at slow-spreading ridges. Here we report the presence of a crustal magma chamber beneath the slow-spreading Lucky Strike segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The reflection from the top of the magma chamber, centred beneath the Lucky Strike volcano and hydrothermal field, is approximately 3 km beneath the sea floor, 3-4 km wide and extends up to 7 km along-axis. We suggest that this magma chamber provides the heat for the active hydrothermal vent field above it. We also observe axial valley bounding faults that seem to penetrate down to the magma chamber depth as well as a set of inward-dipping faults cutting through the volcanic edifice, suggesting continuous interactions between tectonic and magmatic processes.

Petrogenesis of Mount Rainier andesite: magma flux and geologic controls on the contrasting differentiation styles at stratovolcanoes of the southern Washington Cascades

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sisson, Thomas W.; Salters, V.J.M.; Larson, P.B.

2013-01-01

The dominant cause of magmatic evolution at Mount Rainier, however, is inferred to be a version of in situ crystallization-differentiation and mixing (Langmuir, 1989) wherein small magma batches stall as crustal intrusions and solidify extensively, yielding silicic residual liquids with trace element concentrations influenced by accessory mineral saturation. Subsequent magmas ascending through the intrusive plexus entrain and mix with the residual liquids and low-degree re-melts of those antecedent intrusions, producing hybrid andesites and dacites. Mount St. Helens volcanic rocks have geochemical similarities to those at Mount Rainier, and may also result from in situ differentiation and mixing due to low and intermittent long-term magma supply, accompanied by modest crustal assimilation. Andesites and dacites of Mount Adams isotopically overlap the least contaminated Mount Rainier magmas and derive from similar parental magma types, but have trace element variations more consistent with progressive crystallization-differentiation, probably due to higher magma fluxes leading to slower crystallization of large magma batches, allowing time for progressive separation of minerals from melt. Mount Adams also sits atop the southern projection of a regional anticlinorium, so Eocene sediments are absent, or are at shallow crustal levels, and so are cold and difficult to assimilate. Differences between southwest Washington stratovolcanoes highlight some ways that crustal geology and magma flux are primary factors in andesite generation.

A Xenolith Perspective on the Composition and Age of the Northern Tanzanian Lithosphere (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudnick, R. L.; Aulbach, S.; Bellucci, J. J.; Blondes, M. S.; Chesley, J.; Lee, C.; Mansur, A. T.; Manya, S.; McDonough, W. F.

2009-12-01

Study of deep crustal and upper mantle xenoliths from rift volcanoes throughout northern Tanzania provides insights into the architecture of the Tanzanian lithosphere, as well as the interaction of this lithosphere with rift magmas. Like the upper crust, the lower crust and mantle lithosphere of the Tanzanian Craton (TC) and Mozambique Belt (MB) are Archean, but the lower crust of the MB has been thermally reactivated during the pan-African Orogeny, whereas that of the craton has not. In addition, both mantle sections have experienced interaction and heating associated with rift magmas. Cratonic lithospheric mantle is compositionally stratified, with highly refractory but strongly LREE-enriched peridotite comprising the bulk of the section (40-130 km depth), underlain by more fertile and deformed peridotites (130-150 km depth), which are also LREE-enriched. Lithospheric mantle of the MB is highly variable in thickness, ranging from a maximum of ˜150 km at Lashaine to <50 km within the Rift axis near the Kenyan border. Like the cratonic lithosphere, this mantle is also refractory and yields Archean Os model ages throughout. Mantle lithospheres of both the TC and MB have interacted with rift magmas, including carbonatites (at Olmani) and alkali basalts (s.l.), which, in some cases, precipitated veins containing phlogopite or amphibole. Late Pleistocene zircons in one of these veins testify to the youth of this interaction. Rift basalt precipitates that formed in the mantle (pyroxenites and glimmerites) and have, thus, never interacted with continental crust, have radiogenic Os isotopic compositions (γOs = +9), providing strong evidence for a plume source of the rift magmas. Sr and Nd isotopes in cpx from peridotites are highly variable: in some they are completely overprinted by rift magmas, whereas others contain Archean components. Granulite-facies xenoliths throughout northern Tanzania are generally mafic (including anorthositic compositions), with a few intermediate compositions; no granulite-facies metapelites have been found. Marbles, schists, quartzites and amphibolites from the MB likely derive from middle-crustal depths. All zircon U-Pb ages are Archean (≥ 2.6 Ga) and many of the samples fall along a 2.6 Ga Sm-Nd reference line. U-Pb thermochronology largely records slow cooling in the MB following the Pan-African Orogeny and is consistent with a present-day conductive geotherm of 47 mW/m2 in a crust with very low heat production (see Blondes et al., this meeting). Despite the fact that ɛNd varies from -4 to -32 in the lower crustal xenoliths, 87Sr/86Sr is much less variable and the data fall along a near-vertical trend in a Sr vs. Nd isotope plot, reflecting ancient Rb depletion relative to Sr. Similarly, the unradiogenic Pb in granulite feldspars from both TC and MB is consistent with ancient U depletion. Collectively, such distinctive radiogenic isotope characteristics can serve as a diagnostic signature of crustal assimilation in rift magmas from northern Tanzania.

Evidence for crustal recycling during the Archean: The parental magmas of the stillwater complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccallum, I. S.

1988-01-01

The petrology and geochemistry of the Stillwater Complex, an Archean (2.7 Ga) layered mafic intrusion in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana is discussed. Efforts to reconstruct the compositions of possible parental magmas and thereby place some constraints on the composition and history of their mantle source regions was studied. A high-Mg andesite or boninite magma best matches the crystallization sequences and mineral compositions of Stillwater cumulates, and represents either a primary magma composition or a secondary magma formed, for example, by assimilation of crustal material by a very Mg-rich melt such as komatiite. Isotopic data do not support the extensive amounts of assimilation required by the komatiite parent hypothesis, and it is argued that the Stillwater magma was generated from a mantle source that had been enriched by recycling and homogenization of older crustal material over a large area.

Polybaric evolution of phonolite, trachyte, and rhyolite volcanoes in Eastern Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica: Controls on peralkalinity and silica saturation

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeMasurier, W.E.; Futa, K.; Hole, M.; Kawachi, Y.

2003-01-01

In the Marie Byrd Land volcanic province, peralkaline and metaluminous trachytes, phonolites, and rhyolites occur in 18 large shield volcanoes that are closely associated in time and space. They are arrayed radially across an 800 km wide structural dome, with the oldest at the crest and the youngest around the flanks. Several lines of evidence suggest that these rocks evolved via open-system, polybaric fractionation. We have used mass balance modeling of major elements together with trace-element data and mineral chemistry to help explain the evolution of this diverse suite of felsic rocks, which appear to have been generated coevally in isolated magma chambers, and erupted close to each other in patterns related to tectonic uplift and extension within the West Antarctic rift system. Isotopic and trace-element data indicate that this occurred with only minimal crustal contamination. We focus on volcanoes of the Executive Committee Range and Mount Murphy, where we find good representation of basalts and felsic rocks within a small area. Our results suggest that the felsic rocks were derived from basaltic magmas that differentiated at multiple levels during their passage to the surface: first to ferrogabbroic compositions near the base of the lithosphere, then to intermediate compositions near the base of the crust, and finally to felsic compositions in mid- to upper crustal reservoirs. The high-pressure history has been largely masked by low-pressure processes. The best indications of a high-pressure history are the mineral phases in cumulate nodules and their correlation with modeling results, with REE anomalies, and with the composition of an unusual gabbroic intrusion. Silica saturation characteristics are believed to have originated in magma chambers near the base of the crust, via fractionation of variable proportions of kaersutite and plagioclase. Development of peralkalinity in felsic rocks took place in upper crustal reservoirs by fractionating a high ratio of plagioclase to clinopyroxene under conditions of low pH2O. With increasing pH2O, the ratio plagioclase/clinopyroxene in the fractionated assemblage decreases and metaluminous liquids resulted. Crustal contamination seems to have had a role in suppressing peralkalinity, and was probably a factor in the origin of high-silica metaluminous rhyolite, but metaluminous rocks are uncommon. The volume and diversity of felsic rocks were probably enhanced by the structure of the lithosphere, the persistence of plume activity, and the immobility of the Antarctic plate. Mechanical boundaries at the base of the lithosphere and crust, and within the crust, appear to have acted as filters, trapping magmas at multiple levels, and prolonging the fractionation process. Final volumes would have been further enhanced by repeated refluxing of the same magma chambers, controlled by plume activity and plate immobility.

Seismic and GPS constraints on the dynamics and kinematics of the Yellowstone volcanic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. B.; Farrell, J.; Jordan, M.; Puskas, C.; Waite, G. P.

2007-12-01

The seismically and volcanically Yellowstone hotspot resulted from interaction of a mantle plume with the overriding North America plate. This feature and related processes have modified continental lithosphere producing the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain-Newberry silicic volcanic field (YSRPN) system, with its NE volcanically active Yellowstone volcanic field. The size and accessibility of the Yellowstone area has allowed a range of geophysical experiments including earthquake monitoring and seismic and GPS imaging of this system. Seismicity is dominated by small-magnitude normal- to oblique-slip faulting earthquake swarms with shallow focal depths, maximum of ~5 km, restricted by high temperatures and a weak elastic layer. There is developing evidence of non-double couple events. Outside the caldera, earthquakes are deeper, ~20 km, and capable of M 7+ earthquakes. We integrate the results from a multi-institution experiment that recorded data from 110 seismic stations and 180 GPS stations for 1999-2004. The tomographic images confirm the existence of a low Vp-body beneath the Yellowstone caldera at depths greater than 8 km, possibly representing hot, crystallizing magma. A key result of our study is a volume of anomalously low Vp and Vp/Vs in the northwestern part of the volcanic field at shallow depths of <2.0 km. Theoretical calculations of changes in P- to S-wave velocity ratios indicate that these anomalies can be interpreted as porous, gas-filled rock. GPS-measured episodes of caldera kinematics reveals uplift and subsidence of the caldera at decadal scales with average rates of ~20 mm/yr but much higher short-term rates of up to 70 mm/yr of accelerated uplift, 2004-2007. The stress field inverted from seismic and GPS data is dominated by regional SW extension with superimposed volumetric expansion and uplift from local volcanic sources. Mantle tomography derived from integrated inversion of teleseismic and local earthquake data constrained by geoid, crustal structure, discontinuity structure reveals an upper-mantle low P and S velocity body extends from 80 km to ~250 km directly beneath Yellowstone and then continues to 650 km with unexpected westward tilt to the west at ~60° with a 1% to 2% melt. This geometry is consistent with the ascent of the buoyant magma entrained in eastward return-flow of the upper mantle. Some remaining issues to be discussed are: 1) the interaction dynamics and magma path from the tilted plume to the lithosphere, 2) the transfer mechanism of mantle magma through the lithosphere into the upper crust, 3) how the high potential energy of the large 12 m+ geoid high drives the dominant extensional strain and concomitant crustal magma emplacement, 4) how the crustal magma interacts with the surface hydrothermal features, and 5) how stress interaction of faults and volcanic features behave at short- to decadal time scales.

Evaluating Crustal Contamination Effects on the Lithophile Trace Element Budget of Shergottites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, A. D.; Ferdous, J.; Peslier, A. H.

2017-01-01

The origin of the incompatible trace element (ITE) enriched compositions of shergottites has been a point of contention for decades [1-2]. Two scenarios have been proposed, the first is that enriched shergottite compositions reflect an ITE-enriched mantle source, whereas in the second, the ITE enrichment reflects crustal contamination of mantle-derived parent magmas. Evidence supporting the first scenario is that the ITE-enriched shergottite compositions are consistent with the outcomes of magma ocean crystallization [3], and that Os-Nd isotope relationships for shergottites cannot be explained by realistic crustal contamination models [4]. In contrast, Cl and S isotopes are consistent with shergottite magmas interacting with Mars crust [5,6], and ITE-enriched olivine-hosted melt inclusions and interstitial glass are found in depleted shergottite Yamato 980459 [7]. These findings indicate that some level of crustal interaction occurred but the question of whether ITE-enrichments in some bulk shergottites reflect crustal contamination remains open. Recently, a Mars crustal breccia meteorite has been found, NWA 7034 and its paired stones, that is our best analogue to an average of Mars ancient crust [8-10]. This allows for better constraints on crustal contamination of shergottite magmas. We modeled magma-crust mixing and assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC) using ITE-depleted shergottite compositions and bulk NWA 7034 and its clasts as end-members. The results of these models indicate that crustal contamination can only explain the ITE-enriched compositions of some bulk shergottites under unusual circumstances. It is thus likely that the shergottite range of compositions reflects primarily mantle sources.

The Kalatongke magmatic Ni-Cu deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, NW China: product of slab window magmatism?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chusi; Zhang, Mingjie; Fu, Piaoer; Qian, Zhuangzhi; Hu, Peiqing; Ripley, Edward M.

2012-01-01

The Permian Kalatongke Ni-Cu deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt are among the most important Ni-Cu deposits in northern Xinjiang, western China. The deposits are hosted by three small mafic intrusions comprising mainly norite and diorite. Its tectonic context, petrogenesis, and ore genesis have been highly contested. In this paper, we present a new model involving slab window magmatism for the Kalatongke intrusions. The origin of the associated sulfide ores is explained in the context of this new model. Minor amounts of olivine in the intrusions have Fo contents varying between 71 and 81.5 mol%, which are similar to the predicted values for olivine crystallizing from coeval basalts in the region. Analytic modeling based on major element concentrations suggests that the parental magma of the Kalatongke intrusions and the coeval basalts represent fractionated liquids produced by ˜15% of olivine crystallization from a primary magma, itself produced by 7-8% partial melting of depleted mantle peridotite. Positive ɛ Nd values (+4 to +10) and significant negative Nb anomalies for both intrusive and extrusive rocks can be explained by the mixing of magma derived from depleted mantle with 6-18% of a partial melt derived from the lower part of a juvenile arc crust with a composition similar to coeval A-type granites in the region, plus up to 10% contamination with the upper continental crust. Our model suggests that a slab window was created due to slab break-off during a transition from oceanic subduction to arc-arc or arc-continent collision in the region in the Early Permian. Decompression melting in the upwelling oceanic asthenosphere produced the primary magma. When this magma ascended to pond in the lower parts of a juvenile arc crust, it underwent olivine crystallization and at the same time triggered partial melting of the arc crust. Mixing between these two magmas followed by contamination with the upper crust after the magma ascended to higher crustal levels formed the parental magma of the Kalatongke intrusions. The parental magma of the Kalatongke intrusions was saturated with sulfide upon arrival primarily due to olivine fractional crystallization and selective assimilation of crustal sulfur. Sulfide mineralization in the Kalatongke intrusions can be explained by accumulation of immiscible sulfide droplets by flow differentiation, gravitational settling, and downward percolation which operated in different parts of the intrusions. Platinum-group element (PGE) depletion in the bulk sulfide ores of the Kalatongke deposits was due to depletion in the parental magma which in turn was likely due to depletion in the primary magma. PGE depletion in the primary magma can be explained by a relatively low degree of partial melting of the mantle and retention of coexisting sulfide liquid in the mantle.

Zircon Hf-O isotopic constraints on the origin of Late Mesozoic felsic volcanic rocks from the Great Xing'an Range, NE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Mingyue; Tian, Wei; Fu, Bin; Wang, Shuangyue; Dong, Jinlong

2018-05-01

The voluminous Late Mesozoic magmatism was related to extensive re-melting of juvenile materials that were added to the Central East Asia continent in Phanerozoic time. The most favoured magma generation mechanism of Late Mesozoic magmas is partial melting of underplated lower crust that had radiogenic Hf-Nd isotopic characteristics, but this mechanism faces difficulties when interpreting other isotopic data. The tectonic environment controlling the generation of the Late Mesozoic felsic magmas is also in dispute. In this study, we obtained new U-Pb ages, and geochemical and isotopic data of representative Jurassic (154.4 ± 1.5 Ma) and Cretaceous (140.2 ± 1.5 Ma) felsic volcanic samples. The Jurassic sample has inherited zircon cores of Permian age, with depleted mantle-like εHf(t) of +7.4 - +8.5, which is in contrast with those of the magmatic zircons (εHf(t) = +2.4 ± 0.7). Whereas the inherited cores and the magmatic zircons have identical mantle-like δ18O composition ranges (4.25-5.29‰ and 4.69-5.54‰, respectively). These Hf-O isotopic characteristics suggest a mixed source of enriched mantle materials rather than ancient crustal components and a depleted mantle source represented by the inherited Permian zircon core. This mechanism is manifested by the eruption of Jurassic alkaline basalts originated from an enriched mantle source. The Cretaceous sample has high εHf(t) of +7.0 - +10.5, suggesting re-melting of a mafic magma derived from a depleted mantle-source. However, the sub-mantle zircon δ18O values (3.70-4.58‰) suggest the depleted mantle-derived mafic source rocks had experienced high temperature hydrothermal alteration at upper crustal level. Therefore, the Cretaceous felsic magma, if not all, could be generated by re-melting of down-dropped supracrustal volcanic rocks that experienced high temperature oxygen isotope alteration. The two processes, enriched mantle-contribution and supracrustal juvenile material re-melting, are new generation mechanisms of the Late Mesozoic magmas from Central East Asia. Rift settings may have controlled these processes throughout crustal and mantle levels.

Crustal Stretching Style and Lower Crust Flow of the South China Sea Northern Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Y.; Dong, D.; Runlin, D.

2017-12-01

There is a controversy about crustal stretching style of the South China Sea (SCS) northern margin mainly due to considerable uncertainty of stretching factor estimation, for example, as much as 40% of upper crust extension (Walsh et al., 1991) would be lost by seismic profiles due to poor resolution. To discover and understand crustal stretching style and lower crustal flow on the whole, we map the Moho and Conrad geometries based on gravity inversion constrained by deep seismic profiles, then according to the assumption of upper and lower crust initial thickness, upper and lower crust stretching factors are estimated. According to the comparison between upper and lower crust stretching factors, the SCS northern margin could be segmented into three parts, (1) sediment basins where upper crust is stretched more than lower crust, (2) COT regions where lower crust is stretched more than upper crust, (3) other regions where the two layers have similar stretching factors. Stretching factor map shows that lower crust flow happened in both of COT and sediment basin regions where upper crust decouples with lower crust due to high temperature. Pressure contrast by sediment loading in basins and erosion in sediment-source regions will lead to lower crust flow away from sediment sink to source. Decoupled and fractured upper crust is stretched further by sediment loading and the following compensation would result in relatively thick lower crust than upper crust. In COT regions with thin sediment coverage, low-viscosity lower crust is easier to thin in extensional environment, also the lower crust tends to flow away induced by magma upwelling. Therefore, continental crust on the margin is not stretching in a constant way but varies with the tectonic setting changes. This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41506055, 41476042) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities China (No.17CX02003A).

Rhenium-osmium and samarium-neodymium isotopic systematics of the Stillwater complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, David D.; Shirey, Steven B.; Carlson, Richard W.; Morgan, John W.; Walker, Richard J.

1989-01-01

The role of magma mixing in the formation of strategic platinum-group element ore deposits is examined using isotopic data from the Stillwater Complex, Montana. Nd and Os isotopic data show that the intrusion formed from at least two distinct magmas: ultramafic (U-type) affinity magmas and anorthositic (A-type) affinity magmas. The U-type magmas formed from a lithospheric mantle source containing recycled crustal materials and the A-type magmas originated either by crustal contamination of basaltic magmas or by partial melting of basalt in the lower crust. The results also suggest that the platinum-group element ore deposits were derived from A-type magmas which were injected into the U-type magma chamber at several stages during the development of the ultramafic series.

Geophysical Evidence for the Locations, Shapes and Sizes, and Internal Structures of Magma Chambers beneath Regions of Quaternary Volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, H. M.

1984-04-01

This paper is a review of seismic, gravity, magnetic and electromagnetic techniques to detect and delineate magma chambers of a few cubic kilometres to several thousand cubic kilometres volume. A dramatic decrease in density and seismic velocity, and an increase in seismic attenuation and electrical conductivity occurs at the onset of partial melting in rocks. The geophysical techniques are based on detecting these differences in physical properties between solid and partially molten rock. Although seismic refraction techniques, with sophisticated instrumentation and analytical procedures, are routinely used for detailed studies of crustal structure in volcanic regions, their application for magma detection has been quite limited. In one study, in Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A., fan-shooting and time-term techniques have been used to detect an upper-crustal magma chamber. Attenuation and velocity changes in seismic waves from explosions and earthquakes diffracted around magma chambers are observed near some volcanoes in Kamchatka. Strong attenuation of shear waves from regional earthquakes, interpreted as a diffraction effect, has been used to model magma chambers in Alaska, Kamchatka, Iceland, and New Zealand. One of the most powerful techniques in modern seismology, the seismic reflection technique with vibrators, was used to confirm the existence of a strong reflector in the crust near Socorro, New Mexico, in the Rio Grande Rift. This reflector, discovered earlier from data from local earthquakes, is interpreted as a sill-like magma body. In the Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, mapping seismicity patterns in the upper crust has enabled the modelling of the complex magma conduits in the crust and upper mantle. On the other hand, in the Usu volcano, Japan, the magma conduits are delineated by zones of seismic quiescence. Three-dimensional modelling of laterally varying structures using teleseismic residuals is proving to be a very promising technique for detecting and delineating magma chambers with minimum horizontal and vertical dimensions of about 6 km. This technique has been used successfully to detect low-velocity anomalies, interpreted as magma bodies in the volume range 103-106 km3, in several volcanic centres in the U.S.A. and in Mt Etna, Sicily. Velocity models developed using teleseismic residuals of the Cascades volcanoes of Oregon and California, and Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, do not show appreciable storage of magma in the crust. However, regional models imply that large volumes of parental magma may be present in the upper mantle of these regions. In some volcanic centres, teleseismic delays are accompanied by P-wave attenuation, and linear inversion of spectral data have enabled computation of three-dimensional Q-models for these areas. The use of gravity data for magma chamber studies is illustrated by a study in the Geysers-Clear Lake volcanic field in California, where a strong gravity low has been modelled as a low-density body in the upper crust. This body is approximately in the same location as the low-velocity body delineated with teleseismic delays, and is interpreted as a magma body. In Yellowstone National Park, magnetic field data have been used to map the depth to the Curie isotherm, and the results show that high temperatures may be present at shallow depths beneath the Yellowstone caldera. The main application of electrical techniques in magma-related studies has been to understand the deep structure of continental rifts. Electromagnetic studies in several rift zones of the world provide constraints on the thermal structure and magma storage beneath these regions. Geophysical tools commonly used in resource exploration and earth-structure studies are also suited for the detection of magma chambers. Active seismic techniques, with controlled sources, and passive seismic techniques, with local and regional earthquakes and teleseisms, can be used to detect the drastic changes in velocity and attenuation that occur at the onset of melting of rocks and to delineate in three dimensions the shape of the partly melted zone. Similarly, decreases in density and electrical resistivity in rocks during melting, can be detected. Seismic refraction and reflection are not yet used extensively in magma chamber studies. In a study, in the Yellowstone region, seismic delays occurring in a fan-shooting configuration and time-term modelling show the presence of an intense molten zone in the upper crust. Deep seismic sounding (a combination of seismic refraction and reflection) and modelling amplitude and velocity changes of diffracted seismic waves from explosions and earthquakes, have enabled mapping of small and large magma chambers beneath many volcanoes in Kamchatka, U.S.S.R. Teleseismic P-wave residuals have been used to model low-velocity bodies, interpreted as magma chambers, in several Quaternary volcanic centres in the U.S.A. The results show that magma chambers with volumes of a few hundred to a few thousand cubic kilometres volume seem to be confined to regions of silicic volcanism. Many of the magma bodies seem to have upper-mantle roots implying that they are not isolated pockets of partial melt, but may be deriving their magma supplies from deeper parental sources. Medium or large crustal magma chambers are absent in the andesitic volcanoes of western United States and the basaltic Kilauea volcano, Hawaii. However, regional velocity models of the Oregon Cascades and Hawaii show evidence for the presence of magma reservoirs in the upper mantle. The transport of magma to the upper crust in these regions probably occurs rapidly through narrow conduits, with transient storage occurring in small chambers of a few cubic kilometres volume. Very little use has been made of the gravity and magnetic maps to model magma chambers. The number of available case histories, though few, indicate that these data can be very useful to give constraints on the density and temperature in magma chambers. Seismic, gravity, and electromagnetic techniques have been used to model regional structure in several rift zones of the world. Together the data indicate lithospheric thinning under the rifts with possible subcrustal storage of magma and diapiric intrusions into the crust. The current status of the use of geophysical techniques in magma chamber studies can be summarized as follows. Though powerful experimental methods for data collection and mathematical and computational techniques for modelling are available, the two dozen or so available case histories seem to represent isolated, technique-oriented studies. Only in a few regions, such as Kamchatka, U.S.S.R., and Yellowstone and Socorro, U.S.A., are data from multiple geophysical techniques becoming available. Several studies in different tectonic and volcanic environments, which use a suite of geophysical experiments capable of measuring different physical properties of rocks and having a wide range of resolutions, are needed to understand the problems of magma generation, migration, and storage. Many figures, data and results presented in this paper are from several different publications. I am indebted to the authors and publishers for permitting their use. I am very grateful to some of the authors who supplied photo prints of figures. Tim Hitchcock's help in preparing and organizing the figures was invaluable. Dr F. W. Klein, Dr W. D. Mooney, and Dr R. S. J. Sparks reviewed the manuscript and made useful suggestions.

Lead and strontium isotopic evidence for crustal interaction and compositional zonation in the source regions of Pleistocene basaltic and rhyolitic magmas of the Coso volcanic field, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, C.R.; Kurasawa, H.; Delevaux, M.H.; Kistler, R.W.; Doe, B.R.

1984-01-01

The isotopic compositions of Pb and Sr in Pleistocene basalt, high-silica rhyolite, and andesitic inclusions in rhyolite of the Coso volcanic field indicate that these rocks were derived from different levels of compositionally zoned magmatic systems. The 2 earliest rhyolites probably were tapped from short-lived silicic reservoirs, in contrast to the other 36 rhyolite domes and lava flows which the isotopic data suggest may have been leaked from the top of a single, long-lived magmatic system. Most Coso basalts show isotopic, geochemical, and mineralogic evidence of interaction with crustal rocks, but one analyzed flow has isotopic ratios that may represent mantle values (87Sr/86Sr=0.7036,206Pb/204Pb=19.05,207Pb/204Pb=15.62,208Pb/204Pb= 38.63). The (initial) isotopic composition of typical rhyolite (87Sr/86Sr=0.7053,206Pb/204Pb=19.29,207Pb/204Pb= 15.68,208Pb/204Pb=39.00) is representative of the middle or upper crust. Andesitic inclusions in the rhyolites are evidently samples of hybrid magmas from the silicic/mafic interface in vertically zoned magma reservoirs. Silicic end-member compositions inferred for these mixed magmas, however, are not those of erupted rhyolite but reflect the zonation within the silicic part of the magma reservoir. The compositional contrast at the interface between mafic and silicic parts of these systems apparently was greater for the earlier, smaller reservoirs. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag.

Modulation of magmatic processes by CO2 flushing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caricchi, Luca; Sheldrake, Tom E.; Blundy, Jon

2018-06-01

Magmatic systems are the engines driving volcanic eruptions and the source of fluids responsible for the formation of porphyry-type ore deposits. Sudden variations of pressure, temperature and volume in magmatic systems can produce unrest, which may culminate in a volcanic eruption and/or the abrupt release of ore-forming fluids. Such variations of the conditions within magmatic systems are commonly ascribed to the injection of new magma from depth. However, as magmas fractionating at depth or rising to the upper crust release CO2-rich fluids, the interaction between carbonic fluids and H2O-rich magmas stored in the upper crust (CO2 flushing), must also be a common process affecting the evolution of subvolcanic magma reservoirs. Here, we investigate the effect of gas injection on the stability and chemical evolution of magmatic systems. We calculate the chemical and physical evolution of magmas subjected to CO2-flushing using rhyolite-MELTS. We compare the calculations with a set of melt inclusion data for Mt. St. Helens, Merapi, Etna, and Stromboli volcanoes. We provide an approach that can be used to distinguish between melt inclusions trapped during CO2 flushing, magma ascent and decompression, or those affected by post-entrapment H2O-loss. Our results show that CO2 flushing is a widespread process in both felsic and mafic magmatic systems. Depending upon initial magma crystallinity and duration of CO2 input, flushing can either lead to volcanic eruption or fluid release. We suggest that CO2 flushing is a fundamental process modulating the behaviour and chemical evolution of crustal magmatic systems.

Mesozoic invasion of crust by MORB-source asthenospheric magmas, U.S. Cordilleran interior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leventhal, Janet A.; Reid, Mary R.; Montana, Art; Holden, Peter

1995-05-01

Mafic and ultramafic xenoliths entrained in lavas of the Cima volcanic field have Nd and Sr isotopic ratios indicative of a source similar to that of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). Nd and Sr internal isochrons demonstrate a Late Cretaceous intrusion age. These results, combined with evidence for emplacement in the lower crust and upper mantle, indicate invasion of the lower crust by asthenospheric magmas in the Late Cretaceous. Constituting the first prima facie evidence for depleted-mantle magmatism in the Basin and Range province prior to late Cenozoic volcanism, these results lend key support to models suggesting crustal heating by ascent of asthenosphere in the Mesozoic Cordilleran interior.

3D crustal structure beneath the Costa Rica Rift from seismic tomography: insight into magmatic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Tong, V.; Wilson, D. J.; Hobbs, R. W.; Haughton, G.; Murton, B. J.

2016-12-01

During the cruise JC114, which was carried out in the intermediate-spreading Costa Rica Rift(CRR) in 2015, we acquired seismic records from 25 ocean-bottom seismographs in a 5x5 grid with an approximate node spacing of 5 km over the rift's axis. We picked 69,000 Pg and Pn events and inverted 3D crustal Vp structure beneath the CRR by using the First-Arrival Refraction Tomography (FAST). Our results show that at the depth of 1.0 2.0km below sea floor beneath the axis, there exists a 5km-wide low-velocity zone(LVZ), which extends along the axis but breaks into two segments at 83°48'W. At a deeper depth (>2.5km below sea floor), an underlying wider LVZ extends horizontally and vertically, probably stretching through the Moho. The shallower LVZ indicates the accretion of magma in the upper crust or the presence of highly porous or cracked rocks, while the deeper LVZ is inferred to be a partially molten zone, i.e. the representative of the axial magma chamber. The deeper LVZ is connected with the shallower one by upwelling conduits, which bifurcate and provide melts for both the west and east segments of the overlying LVZ. The conduit to the east segment is more prominent, providing more robust magma supply and leading to more intense negative velocity perturbation. It may reflect that the magma supply is fluctuating and migrating in the lower crust and the upper mantle. From analysing traveltime residual to study azimuthal anisotropy, we conclude that the fast direction varies roughly around 90° in the upper crust, implying that the vertically aligned cracks are nearly parallel to the axis and favour along-axis hydrothermal circulation. By comparing the anisotropy features of the two flanks of the CRR, we propose that the magmatic activity is more vigorous in the shallow subsurface of the north flank, i.e. the Cocos Plate. This research is part of a major, interdisciplinary NERC-funded collaboration entitled: Oceanographic and Seismic Characterisation of heat dissipation and alteration by hydrothermal fluids at an Axial Ridge (OSCAR).

A Geophysical Model for the Origin of Volcano Vent Clusters in a Colorado Plateau Volcanic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Fanghui; Connor, Charles B.; Malservisi, Rocco; Connor, Laura J.; White, Jeremy T.; Germa, Aurelie; Wetmore, Paul H.

2017-11-01

Variation in spatial density of Quaternary volcanic vents, and the occurrence of vent clusters, correlates with boundaries in Proterozoic crust in the Springerville volcanic field (SVF), Arizona, USA. Inverse modeling using 538 gravity measurements shows that vent clusters correlate with gradients in the gravity field due to lateral variation in crustal density. These lateral discontinuities in the crustal density can be explained by boundaries in the North American crust formed during Proterozoic accretion. Spatial density of volcanic vents is low in regions of high-density Proterozoic crust, high in areas of relatively low density Proterozoic crust, and is greatest adjacent to crustal boundaries. Vent alignments parallel these boundaries. We have developed 2-D and 3-D numerical models of magma ascent through the crust to simulate long-term, average magma migration that led to the development of vent clusters in the SVF, assuming that a viscous fluid flow through a porous media is statistically equivalent to magma migration averaged over geological time in the full field scale. The location and flux from the uniform magma source region are boundary conditions of the model. Changes in model diffusivity, associated with changes in the bulk properties of the lithosphere, can simulate preferential magma migration paths and alter estimated magma flux at the surface, implying that large-scale crustal structures, such as inherited tectonic block boundaries, influence magma ascent and clustering of volcanic vents. Probabilistic models of volcanic hazard for distributed volcanic fields can be improved by identifying crustal structures and assessing their impact on volcano distribution with the use of numerical models.

Geochemical and petrological evidence of the subduction of delaminated Adriatic continental lithosphere in the genesis of the Neogene-Quaternary magmatism of central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serri, G.; Innocenti, F.; Manetti, P.

1993-07-01

Serri, G., Innocenti, F. and Manetti, P., 1993. Geochemical and petrological evidence of the subduction of delaminated Adriatic continental lithosphere in the genesis of the Neogene-Quaternary magmatism of central Italy. In: M.J.R. Wortel, U. Hansen and R. Sabadini (Editors), Relationships between Mantle Processes and Geological Processes at or near The Earth's Surface. Tectonophysics, 223: 117-147. The Neogene-Quaternary magmatism of the northern Apenninic arc took place in four phases separated in space and time which become progressively younger from west to east: Phase I, 14 Ma; Phase II, 7.3-6.0 Ma; Phase III, 5.1-2.2 Ma; Phase IV, 1.3-0.1 Ma. This magmatism is the result of the activation of three physically separate sources: (1) the Adriatic continental crust, extracted from the mantle in the late Proterozoic; (2) a strongly refractory, recently K-enriched harzburgitic mantle located in the mechanical boundary layer (MBL) of the lithosphere; and (3) a recently metasomatized, cpx-rich mantle, compositionally variable from Iherzolite to wehrlite-clinopyroxenite, interpreted as an ephemerally K-enriched asthenosphere. The Adriatic continental crust is the dominant source of the acid plutonic and volcanic rocks of the Tuscan region. The acid magmatism is mostly found inside an ellipsoidal area (about 150 × 300 km) centred on Giglio Island, here defined as the Tuscan Crustal Dome. Within this area, mantle-derived magmas unaffected by important crustal contamination processes and mixing with crustal anatectic melts have so far not been found. Pure crustal magmas are rare but are represented, for example by some of the San Vincenzo and Roccastrada rhyolites. Virtually all the Tuscan acid centres show evidence of mixing with potassic mantle-derived magmas. Major and trace elements, as well as {87Sr }/{86Sr } and {143Nd }/{144Nd } data, on primitive rocks (Mg# > 65) reveal two groups of mantle-derived magmas. These define two distinct mantle enrichment trends, both essentially due to the additions of K-rich components which metasomatized separate, compositionally diverse, upper mantle sectors. In both cases the most remarkable mineralogical effect of these enrichment processes is the production of variable amount of phlogopite through reaction between fluids and/or melts with the mantle. The rocks of group I (ol-hy and Q-normative, lamproites, ultrapotassic high-Mg latites, ultrapotassic shoshonites and shoshonites: saturated trend) are considered to be derived by partial melting at low pressure (< 50 km) of strongly (lamproites) to moderately depleted phlogopite harzburgitic sources produced by reaction of residual peridotites with a K-Si-rich, Ca-Sr-poor melt with high ratios of {87Sr }/{86Sr (> 0.717) }, Ce/Sr (> 0.3) and {K 2O }/{Na 2O (> 6-7) }, and low ratios of {143Nd }/{144Nd ( 0.5121-0.5120) } and Ba/La (< 20) ratios; it is proposed that this component was formed by partial melting of subducted carbonate-free material of the upper crustal reservoir (e.g., non-restitic felsic granulites). This material is very common in the central Mediterranean region either as granitoid plutons/terrigenous sediments or as metasedimentary, non-restitic lower crust. The primitive rocks of group II are critically undersaturated, mostly leucitites, tephritic leucitites, leucite basanites, melilitites (undersaturated trend). Experimental petrology suggests that these rocks were formed by partial melting of a variably enriched phlogopite, clinopyroxene-rich mantle at higher pressure than group I primitive magmas. Trace-element modelling indicates that three components were involved in the genesis of group II mantle source: (a) a typical MORB-OIB-like mantle; (b) a component with very high Sr, Ca and Sr/Ce values and very low silica and sodium content, probably carried by a carbonatite melt somehow related to subducted marine carbonates; and (c) a recently added K-rich, Ca-Sr-poor crustal component, relatively well constrained to high {87Sr }/{86Sr (> 0.712) } and {K 2O }/{Na 2O (> 8-9) } values, and low {143Nd }/{144Nd (< 0.51205) }, Ba/La (< 20) and Ce/Sr (> 0.10) ratios. These constraints do not allow to exclude a complete identity between the K-rich components which metasomatized the mantle sources of the saturated and undersaturated trend magmas. The geochemical and isotopic features of the components that metasomatized the mantle sources of the northern Apenninic arc magmatism can be explained by a geodynamic process which causes a large amount of crustal materials to be incorporated within the upper mantle. We propose that the delamination and subduction of the Adriatic continental lithosphere related to the still ongoing northern Apennine continental collision provide a viable mechanism to explain the genesis and eastward discontinuous migration of the magmatism in central Italy. The subduction of delaminated lithospheric mantle with lower crustal slivers would have exposed uppermost mantle (Adriatic MBL) and crustal units previously imbricated in the Apennine chain to the heating advected by the upwelling of a recently and ephemerally K-enriched asthenospheric mantle wedge and by the underplating of magmas derived from it. We consider that the diapiric uprising of a hot, crustally contaminated asthenosphere occurs in the wake left above the sinking of the Adriatic delaminated/subducting continental lithosphere. The delamination/subduction process of the Adriatic lithosphere has probably started in the Early-Middle Miocene, but earlier than 15-14 Ma ago, as indicated by the age and petrologic characteristics of the first magmatic episode (Sisco lamproite) of the northern Apennine orogenesis.

Axial crustal structure of the Costa Rica Rift: Implications for along-axis hydrothermal circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Tong, V.; Hobbs, R. W.; Peirce, C.; Lowell, R. P.; Haughton, G.; Murton, B. J.; Morales Maqueda, M. A.; Harris, R. N.; Robinson, A. H.

2017-12-01

In 2015, a multidisciplinary geophysical cruise surveyed the Costa Rica Rift (CRR) in the Panama Basin of the equatorial East Pacific, acquiring a grid of multichannel seismic and wide-angle profiles to determine the mode of oceanic crustal accretion at intermediate-spreading ridges, and how the crustal structure may be influenced by hydrothermal fluid flow. Analysis of 69,000 P-wave first arrivals recorded by 25 ocean-bottom seismographs deployed over a 20 × 20 km area that straddles the ridge axis, reveals a 3D velocity-depth model of upper crustal structure. In particular, the model shows a low velocity anomaly that extends to 2 km below seabed centred on a small-offset non-transform discontinuity (NTD), and a pattern of increasing velocity with distance off-axis that may reflect changes in porosity and permeability in layer 2 of the crust. Assuming the upper crustal velocity anomalies are linked with porosity and hence represent the ability of fluid to flow, comparison of the tomographic model with the volcanic seabed morphology suggests that the broad low velocity zone beneath the NTD may be a region of extensive fracturing. Hence, we infer that this region may provide a primary pathway for the recharge of seawater into the crust. Further west along the axis, beneath the bathymetric dome, which is the shallowest portion along the axis, the low-velocity anomaly is less pronounced, suggesting that fractures are less open and that fluid-rock interaction has encouraged mineral precipitation and alteration, as a result of a longer established hydrothermal fluid flow driven by the axial magma lens observed beneath it. This interpretation is supported by the presence of a plume from an active hydrothermal vent system. Hence, we infer that the variable velocity structure of the upper crust of the CRR is a proxy that reflects the primary porosity, faulting and fracturing related to phases of magma-driven accretion and/or ridge geometry re-adjustment, and that there is along-axis hydrothermal circulation transferring heat and impacting the properties of newly accreted oceanic crust. This research is part of a major, interdisciplinary NERC-funded collaboration entitled: Oceanographic and Seismic Characterisation of heat dissipation and alteration by hydrothermal fluids at an Axial Ridge (OSCAR).

El Hierro's floating stones as messengers of crust-magma interaction at depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burchardt, S.; Troll, V. R.; Schmeling, H.; Koyi, H.; Blythe, L. S.; Longpré, M. A.; Deegan, F. M.

2012-04-01

During the early stages of the submarine eruption that started on October 10 2011 south of El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain, peculiar eruption products were found floating on the sea surface. These centimetre- to decimetre-sized "bombs" have been termed "restingolites" after the nearby village La Restinga and consist of a basaltic rind and a white to light grey core that resembles pumice in texture. According to Troll et al. (2011; see also Troll et al. EGU 2012 Abstracts), this material consists of a glassy matrix hosting extensive vesicle networks, which results in extremely low densities allowing these rocks to float on sea water. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses reveal that the "restingolites" originate from the sedimentary rocks (sand-, silt-, and mudstones) that form layer 1 of the oceanic crust beneath El Hierro. During the onset and early stages of the eruption, magma ponded at the base of this sedimentary sequence, breaking its way through the sedimentary rocks to the ocean floor. The textures of the "restingolites" reveal that crust-magma interaction during fragmentation and transport of the xenoliths involved rapid partial melting and volatile exsolution. Xenoliths strikingly similar to those from El Hierro are known from eruptions on other Canary Islands (e.g. La Palma, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote). In fact, they resemble in texture xenoliths of various protoliths from volcanic areas worldwide (e.g. Krakatao, Indonesia, Cerro Quemado, Guatemala, Laacher See, Germany). This indicates that the process of partial melting and volatile exsolution, which the "restingolites" bear witness of, is probably occurring frequently during shallow crustal magma emplacement. Thermomechanical numerical models of the effect of the density decrease associated with the formation of vesicle networks in partially molten xenoliths show that xenoliths of crustal rocks initially sink in a magma chamber, but may start to float to the chamber roof once they start to heat up and vesiculate. The "floating stones" from El Hierro thus represent the products of crust-magma interaction beneath the Canary Islands, but is probably relevant in most volcanic areas and tectonic settings. In addition, xenolith devolatilisation has important general implications for the mechanics of crustal recycling, magma emplacement into the upper crust and volatile release from active volcanic systems.

Crustal thickness control on Sr/Y signatures of recent arc magmas: an Earth scale perspective

PubMed Central

Chiaradia, Massimo

2015-01-01

Arc magmas originate in subduction zones as partial melts of the mantle, induced by aqueous fluids/melts liberated by the subducted slab. Subsequently, they rise through and evolve within the overriding plate crust. Aside from broadly similar features that distinguish them from magmas of other geodynamic settings (e.g., mid-ocean ridges, intraplate), arc magmas display variably high Sr/Y values. Elucidating the debated origin of high Sr/Y signatures in arc magmas, whether due to mantle-source, slab melting or intracrustal processes, is instrumental for models of crustal growth and ore genesis. Here, using a statistical treatment of >23000 whole rock geochemical data, I show that average Sr/Y values and degree of maturation (MgO depletion at peak Sr/Y values) of 19 out of 22 Pliocene-Quaternary arcs correlate positively with arc thickness. This suggests that crustal thickness exerts a first order control on the Sr/Y variability of arc magmas through the stabilization or destabilization of mineral phases that fractionate Sr (plagioclase) and Y (amphibole ± garnet). In fact, the stability of these mineral phases is function of the pressure at which magma evolves, which depends on crustal thickness. The data presented show also that high Sr/Y Pliocene-Quaternary intermediate-felsic arc rocks have a distinct origin from their Archean counterparts. PMID:25631193

Crystal accumulation and compositional trends in a calc-alkaline batholith: implications for correlation of plutonic and volcanic rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, C. G.; Coint, N.

2013-12-01

The Wooley Creek batholith is a tilted, calc-alkaline intrusive complex in the Klamath Mountain province, California, that can be divided into two main zones: lower (~159.2 × 0.2 Ma) and upper (~158.2 × 0.3 Ma), separated by a central transition zone. The lower zone consists of multiple intrusive units of gabbro through tonalite, with minor mafic synplutonic dikes and intrusive melagabbro and pyroxenite. Major and trace element data plot in two groups: a mafic group that encompasses pyroxenite to diorite, and a tonalitic group. For each group, Mg/Fe in augite was used to determine the approximate composition of equilibrium melt and then major element mass balance was used to calculate proportions of cumulate phases and melt. For the mafic group, no single parental magma can be identified, which is consistent with assembly via many magma batches. However, the most mafic rocks were derived from basaltic andesite magmas and represent 30 to 100% cumulate augite + opx × plagioclase × olivine. Interstitial melt in the tonalitic group was dacitic, and mass balance indicates from 30 to 80% cumulate pyroxenes + plagioclase × accessory apatite and Fe-Ti oxides. The parental magma was probably silicic andesite. The upper zone varies gradationally from structurally low quartz diorite to uppermost granite. Upper zone magmas ';leaked' to form dacitic to rhyodacitic ';roof dikes'. Previous work (Coint et al., Geosphere, in press) showed that the upper zone formed from an approximately homogeneous magma body and that compositional variation was related to upward percolation of melt. Mass balance supports this interpretation and indicates that (1) the parental magmas were andesitic, (2) structurally low rocks are 15 to 65 % cumulate hornblende + plagioclase × pyroxene, and (3) high-level granite and granodiorite are the fractionated products of this accumulation. These results show that the upper zone is a good example of fractional crystallization within a moderate-sized magma body (≥ 160 km3) in which both cumulates and differentiates are readily identified. In contrast, differentiates related to lower-zone cumulate rocks are rare, presumably because they intruded higher crustal levels and/or erupted. We conclude that compositional trends of lower-zone rocks are dominated by crystal accumulation and do not accurately reflect magmatic evolution owing to loss of differentiated magmas. If this process is common in such plutons, then the use of bulk-rock compositions to identify consanguineous plutonic and volcanic rocks will be difficult, at best.

Low δ18O zircons from the Bruneau-Jarbidge eruptive center: a key to crustal anatexis along the track of the Yellowstone hotspot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cathey, H. E.; Nash, B. P.; Seligman, A. N.; Valley, J. W.; Kita, N.; Allen, C. M.; Campbell, I. H.; Vazquez, J. A.; Wooden, J. L.

2011-12-01

The Bruneau-Jarbidge eruptive center (BJEC) in the central Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA consists of the Cougar Point Tuff (CPT), a series of ten, high-temperature (900-1000°C) voluminous ignimbrites produced over the explosive phase of volcanism (12.8 - 10.5 Ma) and more than a dozen equally high-temperature rhyolite lava flows produced during the effusive phase (10.5 - 8 Ma). Spot analyses by ion microprobe of oxygen isotope ratios in 210 zircons demonstrate that all of the eruptive units of the BJEC are characterized by zircon δ18O values ≤ 2.5%, thus documenting the largest low δ18O silicic volcanic province known on Earth (>104 km3). There is no evidence for voluminous normal δ18O magmatism at the BJEC that precedes generation of low δ18O magmas as there is at other volcanic centers that generate low δ18O magmas such as Heise and Yellowstone. At these younger volcanic centers of the hotspot track, such low δ18O magmas represent ~45 % and ~20% respectively of total eruptive volumes. Zircons in all BJEC tuffs and lavas studied (23 units) document strong 18O depletion (median CPT δ18OZrc = 1.0 %, post-CPT lavas = 1.5%) with the third member of the CPT recording an excursion to minimum δ18O values (δ18OZrc= -1.8 %) in a supereruption > 2% lower than other voluminous low δ18O rhyolites known worldwide (δ18OWR ≤0.9 vs. 3.4%). Subsequent units of the CPT and lavas record a progressive recovery in δ18OZrc to ~2.5% over a ~ 4 m.y. interval (12 to 8 Ma). We present detailed evidence of unit-to-unit systematic patterns in O isotopic zoning in zircons (i.e. direction and magnitude of Δcore-rim), spectrum of δ18O in individual units, and zircon inheritance patterns established by re-analysis of spots for U-Th-Pb isotopes by LA-ICPMS and SHRIMP. In conjunction with mineral thermometry and magma compositions, these patterns are difficult to reconcile with the well-established model for "cannibalistic" low δ18O magma genesis at Heise and Yellowstone. We present an alternative model for the central Snake River Plain using the modeling results of Leeman et al. (2008) for 18O depletion as a function of depth in a mid-upper crustal protolith that was hydrothermally altered by infiltrating meteoric waters prior to the onset of silicic magmatism. The model proposes that BJEC silicic magmas were generated in response to the propagation of a melting front, driven by the incremental growth of a vast underlying mafic sill complex, over a ~5 m.y. interval through a crustal volume in which a vertically asymmetric δ18OWR gradient had previously developed that was sharply inflected from ~ -1 to 10 % at mid-upper crustal depths. Within the context of the model, data from BJEC zircons are consistent with incremental melting and mixing events in roof zones of magma reservoirs that accompany surfaceward advance of the coupled mafic-silicic magmatic system.

Heat and extension at mid- and lower crustal levels of the Rio Grande rift

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, K. H.; Baldridge, W. S.; Callender, J. F.

1985-01-01

The process by which large amounts (50 to 200 percent) of crustal extension are produced was concisely described by W. Hamilton in 1982 and 1983. More recently, England, Sawyer, P. Morgan and others have moved toward quantifying models of lithospheric thinning by incorporating laboratory and theoretical data on rock rheology as a function of composition, temperature, and strain rate. Hamilton's description identifies three main crustal layers, each with a distinctive mechanical behavior; brittle fracturing and rotation in the upper crust, discontinuous ductile flow in the middle crust and laminar ductile flow in the lower crust. The temperature and composition dependent brittle-ductile transition essentially defines the diffuse boundary between upper and middle crust. It was concluded that the heat responsible for the highly ductile nature of the lower crust and the lensoidal and magma body structures at mid-crustal depths in the rift was infused into the crust by relatively modest ( 10 percent by mass) magmatic upwelling (feeder dikes) from Moho levels. Seismic velocity-versus-depth data, supported by gravity modeling and the fact that volumes of rift related volcanics are relatively modest ( 6000 cubic km) for the Rio Grande system, all imply velocities and densities too small to be consistent with a massive, composite, mafic intrusion in the lower crust.

Sr isotope zoning in plagioclase from andesites at Cabo De Gata, Spain: Evidence for shallow and deep contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waight, Tod E.; Tørnqvist, Jakob B.

2018-05-01

Plagioclase crystals in andesites from the Cabo De Gata region show generally radiogenic Sr isotope compositions and consistent core to rim increases in 87Sr/86Sr that are indicative of open system processes in the lithosphere and crustal contamination during crystallization. High-grade metamorphic rocks of the Alpujárride and Nevado-Filábride complexes represent the most likely crustal contaminants. The plagioclases are characterized by subtly zoned and resorbed calcic cores (An73-86). These cores also have radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr (0.7127-0.7129), although typically less radiogenic than plagioclase rims, groundmass plagioclase and whole rock compositions (up to 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7135). These cores are interpreted to represent early crystallization of plagioclase from hydrous melts emplaced into the lower crust. The parental melts to these andesites must therefore have already inherited their radiogenic Sr isotope compositions prior to entering the lower crust and before the onset of crystallization of plagioclase, which is inconsistent with previous models suggesting that the generally radiogenic nature of Sr in these volcanics reflects large amounts of crustal contamination. Instead, the isotope systematics are consistent with models invoked significant addition of a subducted sediment component to the mantle source. The high-An% plagioclase cores are characterized by resorption textures, which are consistent with dissolution during rapid decompression and/or devolatisation during magma migration from the lower crust into upper crustal magma chambers.

Relic magma chamber structures preserved within the Mesozoic North Atlantic crust?

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, J.; Mutter, J.C.; Morton, J.L.; Sleep, Norman H.; Thompson, G.A.

1988-01-01

The North Atlantic Transect seismic reflection data, collected southwest of Bermuda, have been reinterpreted following post-stack migration and reveal two major intracrustal reflections. The shallower of these two events, located ~1 s below the igneous basement, is a subhorizontal, undulating surface that in some places is continuous for as much as 10 km. This upper crustal reflection corresponds to the intermittently sharp contact between the sheeted dikes and the underlying isotropic gabbro. A second set of lower crustal reflections, dipping ~20??-40?? eastward, is also prominent on the migrated profile and terminates downdip against the subhorizontal reflection Moho. Their presence may be ascribed to mafic-ultramafic cumulate layers frozen into the oceanic crust at the time of formation at the paleo-spreading center. The gradual thinning in the crust approaching the fracture zones is shown to be more complex than was originally inferred. An intepretation advocating crustal thickening in this narrow zone is proposed as an alternative to the crustal-thinning model of Mutter and others. -from Authors

Insights into the emplacement of upper-crustal plutons and their relationship to large silicic calderas, from field relationships, geochronology, and zircon trace element geochemistry in the Stillwater - Clan Alpine caldera complex, western Nevada, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colgan, Joseph P.; John, David A.; Henry, Christopher D.; Watts, Kathryn E.

2018-01-01

Geologic mapping, new U-Pb zircon ages, and new and published 40Ar/39Ar sanidine ages document the timing and extent of Oligocene magmatism in the southern Stillwater Range and Clan Alpine Mountains of western Nevada, where Miocene extension has exposed at least six nested silicic calderas and underlying granitic plutons to crustal depths locally ≥ 9 km. Both caldera-forming rhyolitic tuffs and underlying plutons were emplaced in two episodes, one from about 30.4-28.2 Ma that included the Deep Canyon, Job Canyon, and Campbell Creek calderas and underlying plutons, and one from about 25.3-24.8 Ma that included the Louderback Mountains, Poco Canyon, and Elevenmile Canyon calderas and underlying plutons. In these two 1-2 m.y. periods, almost the entire Mesozoic upper crust was replaced by Oligocene intrusive and extrusive rocks to depths ≥ 9 km over an estimated total area of 1500 km2 (pre-extension). Zircon trace element geochemistry indicates that some plutonic rock can be solidified residual magma from the tuff eruptions. Most plutons are not solidified residual magma, although they directly underlie calderas and were emplaced along the same structures shortly after to as much as one million years after caldera formation. Magma chambers and plutons grew by floor subsidence accommodated by downward transfer of country rocks. If other Great Basin calderas are similar, the dense concentration of shallowly exposed calderas in central Nevada is underlain by a complexly zoned mid-Cenozoic batholith assembled in discrete pulses that coincided with formation of large silicic calderas up to 2500-5000 km3.

Oman Ophiolite Structural Constraints Complement Models of Crustal Accretion at the EAST Pacific RISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolas, A. A.; Jousselin, D.; Boudier, F. I.

2014-12-01

This review documents significant similarities between East Pacific Rise (EPR), especially EPR at 9°-10°N and the Oman ophiolites. Both share comparable fast spreading rates, size and their dominant source of information that is mainly geophysical in EPR and structural in Oman. In these respects, they are remarkably complementary. Mantle upwelling zones at the EPR and mantle diapirs in Oman have a similar size and spacing. They punctually introduce basaltic melt and heat in the accreting crust, thus controlling elementary segments structure and activity. A tent-shaped magma chamber fits onto the diapir head, the top of which is a Mantle Transition Zone (MTZ) that stores, modifies, and injects the modified melt into the upper Axial Melt Lens (AML) beneath the lid. This MTZ-AML connection is central in crustal accretion, as documented in Oman. Heat from the diapir is captured above the Moho by the magma chamber and escapes through its walls, into a thin thermal boundary layer that bounds the chamber. Beyond, seawater at lower temperatures feeds smokers on the seafloor.

Underplating generated A- and I-type granitoids of the East Junggar from the lower and the upper oceanic crust with mixing of mafic magma: Insights from integrated zircon U-Pb ages, petrography, geochemistry and Nd-Sr-Hf isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Liu, Xiu-Jin; Liu, Li-Juan

2013-10-01

Whole rock major and trace element, Nd-Sr and zircon Hf isotopic compositions and secondary-ion mass spectrometry zircon U-Pb ages of eleven granitoid intrusions and dioritic rocks from the East Junggar (NW China) were analyzed in this study. The East Junggar granitoids were emplaced during terminal Early to Late Carboniferous (325-301 Ma) following volcanic eruption of the Batamayi Formation. Zircons from the East Junggar granitoids yielded 210 concordant 206Pb/238U ages which are all younger than 334 Ma and exhibit ɛHf(t) values distinctly higher than Devonian arc volcanic-rocks. Seismic P-wave velocities of deep crust of the East Junggar proper resemble those of oceanic crust (OC). These characteristics suggest absence of volcanic rock and volcano-sedimentary rock of Devonian and Early Carboniferous from the source region. The East Junggar granitoids show ɛNd(t) and initial 87Sr/86Sr values substantially overlapping those of the Armantai ophiolite in the area. The Early Paleozoic OC with seamount-like composition as the Zhaheba-Armantai ophiolites remained in the lower crust and formed main source rock of the East Junggar granitoids. Based on petrography and geochemistry, the East Junggar granitoids are classified into peralkaline A-type in the northern subarea, I-type (I1 and I2 subgroups) mainly in the north and A-type in the south of the southern subarea. The perthitic or argillated core and oligoclasic rim with an argillated boundary of feldspar phenocrysts and inclusion of perthites or its overgrowth by matrix plagioclase, in the monzogranites (northern subarea), suggest mixing of peralkaline granitic magma with mafic magma. In the north of the southern subarea, the presence of magmatic microdioritic enclaves (MMEs) in the I1 subgroup granitoids, transfer of plagioclase phenocrysts and hornblendes between host granodiorite and the MME across the boundary and a prominent resorption surface in the plagioclase phenocrysts indicate mixing of crustal magma (I2 subgroup granitoids) with mafic magma. Magma mixing shifted (87Sr/86Sr)i of the I1 subgroup granitoids towards the mantle array. Two generations of hornblende with zonal distribution and similar mineral and geochemical compositions of quartz monzodiorite and hosted MME with unfractionated rare earth elements (REE) suggest extended magma mixing with onset probably at or near source region. These observations imply concurrency of mantle input and the crustal melting and, hence, a causal relationship between underplating/intraplating and the lower OC/upper OC melting. The I-type granitoids experienced plagioclase and hornblende fractionations, whereas fractionated phases of the two groups of A-type granites were alkali feldspar and albite-oligoclase with significant involvement of F--rich fluid. Granodioritic parent magmas of the I2 subgroup granitoids stemmed from the hydrous upper OC. Parent magmas of the two A-type groups possess syenogranitic or quartz syenitic compositions. The peralkaline A-type granites stemmed from the lower OC, whereas the A-type granites from dehydrated upper OC left behind after extensive partial melting and extraction of I-type granitoids. Based on comparison in the ternary system Mg2SiO4-CaAl2SiO6-SiO2, most of the Batamayi volcanic rocks with affinity to ocean-island basalts were derived from asthenospheric upwelling. The gabbro-dioritic rocks with higher light to heavy REE ratios stemmed from metasomatized lithospheric mantle. Both of the above mafic rocks contain subducted slab component.

Fluid-driven fracture and melt transport through lithosphere on earth and terrestrial planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fialko, Yuri Alex

Fluid-driven fracture is a fundamental geophysical phenomenon operating in planetary interiors on many scales. A few examples of geological processes involving fluid transport via self-induced fractures include melt segregation in the mantle, magma ascent through the lithosphere, crustal accretion at mid-ocean ridges and volcanic "hot spots", migration of metamorphic and sedimentary fluids in the crust, etc. Overall, fluid-driven (in particular, magma-driven) fracture plays a major role in chemical differentiation of the upper mantle. Because our ability to make direct observations of the dynamics and styles of fluid-driven fracture is quite limited, our understanding of this phenomenon relies on theoretical models that use fundamental physical principles and available field data to constrain the behavior of fluid-driven cracks at depth. This thesis proposes new and more accurate ways of theoretical and experimental description of magma transport in self-induced fractures, or dikes. Dike propagation is a complex process that involves elastic and inelastic deformation of the host rocks, rock fracture, viscous flow of magma, heat transfer, and phase transitions (e.g., rock crystallization and fusion, volatile exolution etc.). We consider relationships between different physical processes associated with magma transport in dikes by solving appropriate boundary value problems of continuum mechanics and heat and mass transfer. The first chapter of this thesis revises existing interpretations of available experimental data bearing on the role of fracture resistance in the overall energy balance during dike propagation. It is shown for the first time that the experimental data indicate that the rock tensile fracture energy, which is not a material property at elevated confining pressures, may substantially increase under in-situ stress conditions. The second chapter concentrates on the interaction between magma flow, heat transfer and phase changes associated with dike emplacement, and discusses some important implications of our results for the generation of the Earth's crust at mid-ocean ridges. In particular, we find that the thermal arrest lengths of typical mid-ocean ridge dikes are of the order of the wavelength of crustal thickness variations and transform fault spacing along slow spreading ridges. This suggests that thermal controls on the crustal melt delivery system could be an important factor in modulating these variations. The third chapter deals with fluid-mechanical aspects of lateral dike propagation in volcanic rift zones. We demonstrate the existence of a feedback between viscous pressure losses during magma transport at depth and the along-strike surface topography of a rift zone. Our estimated values of the along-strike slopes resulting from such a feedback are in general agreement with observations in Hawaiian rift zones. The fourth chapter explores mechanisms of emplacement of giant dike swarms that might have played a role in splitting continents and producing mass extinctions. We reconcile field observations of chilled margins, low crustal contamination, and large dike thicknesses with the theoretically inferred turbulent mode of magma flow in such dikes.

Crustal Structure of Active Deformation Zones in Africa: Implications for Global Crustal Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebinger, C. J.; Keir, D.; Bastow, I. D.; Whaler, K.; Hammond, J. O. S.; Ayele, A.; Miller, M. S.; Tiberi, C.; Hautot, S.

2017-12-01

The Cenozoic East African rift (EAR), Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL), and Atlas Mountains formed on the slow-moving African continent, which last experienced orogeny during the Pan-African. We synthesize primarily geophysical data to evaluate the role of magmatism in shaping Africa's crust. In young magmatic rift zones, melt and volatiles migrate from the asthenosphere to gas-rich magma reservoirs at the Moho, altering crustal composition and reducing strength. Within the southernmost Eastern rift, the crust comprises 20% new magmatic material ponded in the lower crust and intruded as sills and dikes at shallower depths. In the Main Ethiopian Rift, intrusions comprise 30% of the crust below axial zones of dike-dominated extension. In the incipient rupture zones of the Afar rift, magma intrusions fed from crustal magma chambers beneath segment centers create new columns of mafic crust, as along slow-spreading ridges. Our comparisons suggest that transitional crust, including seaward dipping sequences, is created as progressively smaller screens of continental crust are heated and weakened by magma intrusion into 15-20 km thick crust. In the 30 Ma Recent CVL, which lacks a hot spot age progression, extensional forces are small, inhibiting the creation and rise of magma into the crust. In the Atlas orogen, localized magmatism follows the strike of the Atlas Mountains from the Canary Islands hot spot toward the Alboran Sea. CVL and Atlas magmatism has had minimal impact on crustal structure. Our syntheses show that magma and volatiles are migrating from the asthenosphere through the plates, modifying rheology, and contributing significantly to global carbon and water fluxes.

How tectonics controlled post-collisional magmatism within the Dinarides: Inferences based on study of tectono-magmatic events in the Kopaonik Mts. (Southern Serbia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mladenović, Ana; Trivić, Branislav; Cvetković, Vladica

2015-04-01

In this study, we report evidence about coupling between tectonic and magmatic processes in a complex orogenic system. The study focuses on the Kopaonik Mts. situated between the Dinarides and the Carpatho-Balkanides (Southern Serbia), and a perfect area for investigating tectono-magmatic evolution. We combine a new data set on tectonic paleostress tensors with the existing information on Cenozoic magmatic rocks in the wider Kopaonik Mts. area. The paleostress study revealed the presence of four brittle deformational phases. The established link between fault mechanism and igneous processes suggests that two large tectono-magmatic events occurred in this area. The Late Eocene-Early Miocene tectono-magmatic event was generally characterized by transpressional tectonics that provided conditions for formation of basaltic underplating and subsequent lower crustal melting and generation of I-type magmas. Due to predominant compression in the first half of this event, these magmas could not reach the upper crustal levels. Later on, limited extensional pulses that occurred before the end of this event opened pathways for newly formed mantle melts to reach shallower crustal levels and mix with the evolving I-type magmas. The second event is Middle-Late Miocene in age. It was first associated with clear extensional conditions that caused advancing of basaltic melts to mid-crustal levels. This, in turn, induced the elevation of geotherms, melting of shallow crust and S-type granite formation. This event terminated with transpression that produced small volumes of basaltic melts and finally closed the igneous scene in this part of the Balkan Peninsula. Although we agree that the growth of igneous bodies is usually internally controlled and can be independent from the ambient structural pattern, we have strong reasons to believe that the integration of regional scale observations of fault kinematics with crucial petrogenetic information can be used for establishing spatial-temporal relationships between brittle tectonics and magmatism.

Crustally derived granites in Dali, SW China: new constraints on silicic magmatism of the Central Emeishan Large Igneous Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Bei; Peate, David W.; Guo, Zhaojie; Liu, Runchao; Du, Wei

2017-10-01

We have identified a new crustally derived granite pluton that is related to the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP). This pluton (the Wase pluton, near Dali) shows two distinct SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age groups ( 768 and 253 Ma). As it has an intrusive relationship with Devonian limestone, the younger age is interpreted as its formation, which is related to the ELIP event, whereas the 768 Ma Neoproterozoic-aged zircons were inherited from Precambrian crustal component of the Yangtze Block, implying the pluton has a crustally derived origin. This is consistent with its peraluminous nature, negative Nb-Ta anomaly, enrichment in light rare earth elements, high 87Sr/86Sr(i) ratio (0.7159-0.7183) and extremely negative ɛ(Nd)(i) values (-12.15 to -13.70), indicative of melts derived from upper crust materials. The Wase pluton-intruded Devonian strata lie stratigraphically below the Shangcang ELIP sequence, which is the thickest volcanic sequence ( 5400 m) in the whole ELIP. The uppermost level of the Shangcang sequence contains laterally restricted rhyolite. Although the rhyolite has the same age as the Wase pluton, its geochemical features demonstrate a different magma origin. The rhyolite displays moderate 87Sr/86Sr(i) (0.7053), slightly negative ɛ(Nd)(i) (-0.18) and depletions in Ba, Cs, Eu and Sr, implying derivation from differentiation of a mantle-derived mafic magma source. The coexistence of crustally and mantle-derived felsic systems, along with the robust development of dike swarms, vent proximal volcanics and thickest flood basalts piles in Dali, shows that the Dali area was probably where the most active Emeishan magmatism had once existed.

Unraveling the diversity in arc volcanic eruption styles: Examples from the Aleutian volcanic arc, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Jessica F.

2016-11-01

The magmatic systems feeding arc volcanoes are complex, leading to a rich diversity in eruptive products and eruption styles. This review focuses on examples from the Aleutian subduction zone, encompassed within the state of Alaska, USA because it exhibits a rich diversity in arc structure and tectonics, sediment and volatile influx feeding primary magma generation, crustal magma differentiation processes, with the resulting outcome the production of a complete range in eruption styles from its diverse volcanic centers. Recent and ongoing investigations along the arc reveal controls on magma production that result in diversity of eruptive products, from crystal-rich intermediate andesites to phenocryst-poor, melt-rich silicic and mafic magmas and a spectrum in between. Thus, deep to shallow crustal "processing" of arc magmas likely greatly influences the physical and chemical character of the magmas as they accumulate in the shallow crust, the flow physics of the magmas as they rise in the conduit, and eruption style through differences in degassing kinetics of the bubbly magmas. The broad spectrum of resulting eruption styles thus depends on the bulk magma composition, melt phase composition, and the bubble and crystal content (phenocrysts and/or microlites) of the magma. Those fundamental magma characteristics are in turn largely determined by the crustal differentiation pathway traversed by the magma as a function of tectonic location in the arc, and/or the water content and composition of the primary magmas. The physical and chemical character of the magma, set by the arc differentiation pathway, as it ascends towards eruption determines the kinetic efficiency of degassing versus the increasing internal gas bubble overpressure. The balance between degassing rate and the rate at which gas bubble overpressure builds then determines the conditions of fragmentation, and ultimately eruption intensity.

Thermal influences on the development and evolution of large catastrophic caldera-forming magmatic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Silva, S. L.; Gregg, P. M.; Grocke, S.; Kern, J. M.; Kaiser, J. F.; Iriarte, R.; Burns, D. H.; Tierney, C.; Schmitt, A. K.; Gosnold, W. D.

2012-12-01

Recent work in the community has emphasized the importance of the thermal environment on the development, evolution, and eventual eruption of large silicic magma systems, commonly referred to as "supervolcanic". With particular reference to the Central Andes, our group has focused on three main themes: thermal preparation of the shallow crust; the importance of temperature-dependent rheology of the host rocks; and time scales of magma evolution. Integrated, these themes provide a useful framework in which to understand supervolcanic systems dominated by crystal-rich silicic magmas such as those also seen in the Great Basin and Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field of the North America and Toba in Sumatra. For both regional and individual systems, the key driver is anomalous high mantle to crust fluxes on time scales of several millions of years. These trigger feedbacks between intermediate melt generation in the lower crust, transport of this melt/magma through the crust, thermal evolution of the crust, and eventual growth and stabilization of silicic upper crustal magma systems. Elevation of geotherms in the upper crust results in conditions that promote the development of large eruptible magma volumes. Specifically, incubation and growth of nascent magma systems is enhanced by the permissive thermal environment and ductile rheology of wall rocks. These conditions are, in our view, the critical ingredients to the formation of the largest systems. Subsequent stabilization and growth of these systems at shallow levels (3 to 7 km) over several hundred of thousands of years results in further, local, feedbacks between chamber volume, temperature, wall rock rheology that cause significant surface uplift (~1 km) above the growing magma system, and long crystallization histories. These conditions lead to mechanically unstable "perched" magma bodies that can reach an advanced state of evolution (high crystallinity) before catastrophic eruption and caldera formation.

Unrest in Long Valley Caldera, California, 1978-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, David P.; ,

2006-01-01

Long Valley Caldera and the Mono-Inyo Domes volcanic field in eastern California lie in a left-stepping offset along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, at the northern end of the Owens Valley and the western margin of the Basin and Range Province. Over the last 4 Ma, this volcanic field has produced multiple volcanic eruptions, including the caldera-forming eruption at 760 000 a BP and the recent Mono-Inyo Domes eruptions 500–660 a BP and 250 a BP. Beginning in the late 1970s, the caldera entered a sustained period of unrest that persisted through the end of the century without culminating in an eruption. The unrest has included recurring earthquake swarms; tumescence of the resurgent dome by nearly 80 cm; the onset of diffuse magmatic carbon dioxide emissions around the flanks of Mammoth Mountain on the southwest margin of the caldera; and other indicators of magma transport at mid- to upper-crustal depths. Although we have made substantial progress in understanding the processes driving this unrest, many key questions remain, including the distribution, size, and relation between magma bodies within the mid-to-upper crust beneath the caldera, Mammoth Mountain, and the Inyo Mono volcanic chain, and how these magma bodies are connected to the roots of the magmatic system in the lower crust or upper mantle.

Enriched continental flood basalts from depleted mantle melts: modeling the lithospheric contamination of Karoo lavas from Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinonen, Jussi S.; Luttinen, Arto V.; Bohrson, Wendy A.

2016-01-01

Continental flood basalts (CFBs) represent large-scale melting events in the Earth's upper mantle and show considerable geochemical heterogeneity that is typically linked to substantial contribution from underlying continental lithosphere. Large-scale partial melting of the cold subcontinental lithospheric mantle and the large amounts of crustal contamination suggested by traditional binary mixing or assimilation-fractional crystallization models are difficult to reconcile with the thermal and compositional characteristics of continental lithosphere, however. The well-exposed CFBs of Vestfjella, western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, belong to the Jurassic Karoo large igneous province and provide a prime locality to quantify mass contributions of lithospheric and sublithospheric sources for two reasons: (1) recently discovered CFB dikes show isotopic characteristics akin to mid-ocean ridge basalts, and thus help to constrain asthenospheric parental melt compositions and (2) the well-exposed basaltic lavas have been divided into four different geochemical magma types that exhibit considerable trace element and radiogenic isotope heterogeneity (e.g., initial ɛ Nd from -16 to +2 at 180 Ma). We simulate the geochemical evolution of Vestfjella CFBs using (1) energy-constrained assimilation-fractional crystallization equations that account for heating and partial melting of crustal wall rock and (2) assimilation-fractional crystallization equations for lithospheric mantle contamination by using highly alkaline continental volcanic rocks (i.e., partial melts of mantle lithosphere) as contaminants. Calculations indicate that the different magma types can be produced by just minor (1-15 wt%) contamination of asthenospheric parental magmas by melts from variable lithospheric reservoirs. Our models imply that the role of continental lithosphere as a CFB source component or contaminant may have been overestimated in many cases. Thus, CFBs may represent major juvenile crustal growth events rather than just recycling of old lithospheric materials.

Multi-channel seismic imaging of a crustal magma chamber along the East Pacific Rise

USGS Publications Warehouse

Detrick, R. S.; Buhl, P.; Vera, E.; Mutter, J.; Orcutt, J.; Madsen, J.; Brocher, T.

1987-01-01

A reflection observed on multi-channel seismic profiles along and across the East Pacific Rise between 8??50??? N and 13??30??? N is interpreted to arise from the top of a crustal magma chamber located 1.2-2.4 km below the sea floor. The magma chamber is quite narrow (<4 - 6 km wide), but can be traced as a nearly continuous feature for tens of kilometres along the rise axis. ?? 1987 Nature Publishing Group.

Making mushy magma chambers in the lower continental crust: Cold storage and compositional bimodality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Matthew; Blundy, Jon; Sparks, Steve

2017-04-01

Increasing geological and geophysical evidence suggests that crustal magma reservoirs are normally low melt fraction 'mushes' rather than high melt fraction 'magma chambers'. Yet high melt fractions must form within these mush reservoirs to explain the observed flow and eruption of low crystallinity magmas. In many models, crystallinity is linked directly to temperature, with higher temperature corresponding to lower crystallinity (higher melt fraction). However, increasing temperature yields less evolved (silicic) melt composition for a given starting material. If mobile, low crystallinity magmas require high temperature, it is difficult to explain how they can have evolved composition. Here we use numerical modelling to show that reactive melt flow in a porous and permeable mush reservoir formed by the intrusion of numerous basaltic sills into the lower continental crust produces magma in high melt fraction (> 0.5) layers akin to conventional magma chambers. These magma-chamber-like layers contain evolved (silicic) melt compositions and form at low (close to solidus) temperatures near the top of the mush reservoir. Evolved magma is therefore kept in 'cold storage' at low temperature, but also at low crystallinity so the magma is mobile and can leave the mush reservoir. Buoyancy-driven reactive flow and accumulation of melt in the mush reservoir controls the temperature and composition of magma that can leave the reservoir. The modelling also shows that processes in lower crustal mush reservoirs produce mobile magmas that contain melt of either silicic or mafic composition. Intermediate melt compositions are present but are not within mobile magmas. Silicic melt compositions are found at high melt fraction within the magma-chamber like layers near the top of the mush reservoir. Mafic melt compositions are found at high melt fraction within the cooling sills. Melt elsewhere in the reservoir has intermediate composition, but remains trapped in the reservoir because the local melt fraction is too low to form a mobile magma. The model results are consistent with geochemical data suggesting that lower crustal magma reservoirs supply silicic and mafic melts to arc volcanoes, but intermediate magmas are formed by mixing in shallower reservoirs. We suggest here that lower crustal magma chambers primarily form in response to changes in bulk composition caused by melt migration and chemical reaction in a mush reservoir. This process is different to the conventional and widely applied models of magma chamber formation. Similar processes are likely to operate in shallow mush reservoirs, but will likely be further complicated by the presence of volatile phases, and mixing of different melt compositions sourced from deeper mush reservoirs.

Origin of the Mackenzie large igneous province and sourcing of flood basalts from layered intrusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, J. M.; Pearson, D.

2013-12-01

The 1.27 Ga Coppermine continental flood basalt (CFB) in northern Canada represents the extrusive manifestation of the Mackenzie large igneous province (LIP) that includes the Mackenzie dyke swarm and the Muskox layered intrusion. New Re-Os isotope and highly siderophile element (HSE: Re, Pd, Pt, Ru, Ir, Os) abundance data are reported together with whole-rock major- and trace-element abundances and Nd isotopes to examine the behaviour of the HSE during magmatic differentiation and to place constraints on the extent of crustal interaction with mantle-derived melts. Mineral-chemical data are also reported for an unusual andesite glass flow (4.9 wt.% MgO) found in proximity to newly recognised picrites (>20 wt.% MgO) in the lowermost stratigraphy of the Coppermine CFB. Compositions of mineral phases in the andesite are similar to equivalent phases found in Muskox Intrusion chromitites and the melt composition is identical to Muskox chromite melt inclusions. Elevated HSE contents (e.g., 3.8 ppb Os) and the mantle-like initial Os isotope composition of this andesitic glass contrast strongly with oxygen isotope and lithophile element evidence for extensive crustal contamination. These signatures implicate an origin for the glass as a magma mingling product formed within the Muskox Intrusion during chromitite genesis. The combination of crust and mantle signatures define roles for both these reservoirs in chromitite genesis, but the HSE appear to be dominantly mantle-sourced. Combined with Nd isotope data that places the feeder for lower Coppermine CFB picrites and basalts within the Muskox Intrusion, this provides the strongest evidence yet for direct processing of some CFB within upper-crustal magma chambers. Modeling of absolute and relative HSE abundances in CFB reveal that HSE concentrations decrease with increasing fractionation for melts with <8×1 wt.% MgO in the Coppermine CFB, with picrites (>13.5wt.% MgO) from CFB having higher Os abundances than ocean island basalt (OIB) equivalents. The differences between CFB and OIB picrite absolute Os abundances may result from higher degrees of partial melting to form CFB but may also reflect incorporation of trace sulphide in CFB picrites from magmas that reached S-saturation in shallow-level magma chambers. Significant inter-element fractionation between (Re+Pt+Pd)/(Os+Ir+Ru) are generated during magmatic differentiation in response to strongly contrasting partitioning of these two groups of elements into sulphides and/or HSE-rich alloys. Furthermore, fractional crystallization has a greater role on absolute and relative HSE abundances than crustal contamination under conditions of CFB petrogenesis due to the dilution effect of continental crust. The Coppermine CFB define a Re-Os isochron with an age of 1263 +16/-20 Ma and initial gamma Os = +2.2×0.8. Combined data for the basaltic and intrusive portions of the Mackenzie LIP indicate a mantle source broadly within the range of the primitive upper mantle. The majority of Archaean komatiites and Phanerozoic CFB also require mantle sources with primitive upper mantle to chondritic Re/Os evolution, with exceptions typically being from analyses of highly-fractionated MgO-poor basalts.

Origin of the Powai ankaramite, and the composition, P-T conditions of equilibration and evolution of the primary magmas of the Deccan tholeiites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Nilanjan; Sheth, Hetu

2015-03-01

The Powai ankaramite flow from Mumbai, western Deccan Traps, contains abundant crystals of augite (En59-47Fs10-14Wo27-42, 22-40 modal %, 3-5 mm) and olivine (Fo84-74, 11-16 modal %, 1-2 mm), and minor plagioclase (An71, ~0.5 mm) embedded in a fine-grained matrix. Minor orthopyroxene (En79-77Fs16-19Wo5-4) with irregular and embayed margins is mantled by thick augite overgrowth rims. The Fe-Mg distribution between the large crystals and bulk rock shows disequilibrium, indicating that the ankaramite is a cumulate rock. The ankaramite probably formed by the intrusion of tholeiitic melt into a cumulate pile with olivine, augite, and orthopyroxene left by the crystallization of earlier magmas, resulting in orthopyroxene dissolution and subsequent precipitation of augite. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions and melts represented by the ankaramite groundmass and some associated tholeiitic dikes are multiply saturated with olivine + plagioclase + clinopyroxene at ≤6 kb according to phase equilibrium constraints. Calculations involving incremental addition of equilibrium phases to these melts and to the common aphyric tholeiites of the voluminous Ambenali and Mahabaleshwar Formations show that their primary magmas (wt% SiO2: 48-50, MgO: 9.8-11.8, and FeO: 7.2-7.9, and Mg# 70-74) last equilibrated with spinel lherzolite at ~8-13 kb (~30-49 km depths) and ~1268-1332 °C, and trace element considerations indicate ≤15 % batch melting of mantle. These tholeiitic primary magmas then underwent olivine gabbro fractionation in upper crustal magma chambers at depths ≤23 km. The minimum depth of equilibration of the primary magmas is shallower than the present-day Moho in the Mumbai area based on seismological data, indicating localized mantle upwelling and lower crustal interactions previously inferred from the Nd-Sr isotopic ratios and other geochemical characteristics of the ankaramite and associated tholeiites.

Decoding magma plumbing and geochemical evolution beneath the Lastarria volcanic complex (Northern Chile)-Evidence for multiple magma storage regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stechern, André; Just, Tobias; Holtz, François; Blume-Oeste, Magdalena; Namur, Olivier

2017-05-01

The petrology of quaternary andesites and dacites from Lastarria volcano was investigated to reconstruct the magma plumbing and storage conditions beneath the volcano. The mineral phase compositions and whole-rock major and trace element compositions were used to constrain temperature, pressure and possible mechanisms for magma differentiation. The applied thermobarometric models include two-pyroxene thermobarometry, plagioclase-melt thermometry, amphibole composition thermobarometry, and Fe-Ti oxide thermo-oxybarometry. The overall temperature estimation is in the range 840 °C to 1060 °C. Calculated oxygen fugacity ranges between NNO to NNO + 1. Results of the geo-barometric calculations reveal multiple magma storage regions, with a distinct storage level in the uppermost crust ( 6.5-8 km depth), a broad zone at mid-crustal levels ( 10-18 km depth), and a likely deeper zone at intermediate to lower crustal levels (> 20 km depth). The highest temperatures in the range 940-1040 °C are recorded in minerals stored in the mid-crustal levels ( 10-18 km depth). The whole-rock compositions clearly indicate that magma mixing is the main parameter controlling the general differentiation trends. Complex zoning patterns and textures in the plagioclase phenocrysts confirm reheating and remobilization processes due to magma replenishment.

Re-evaluating across-axis geochemical variations at the East Pacific Rise and Juan de Fuca Ridge: on- and off-axis melt delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perfit, M. R.; Walters, R. L.

2014-12-01

High spatial density geochemical data sets from the N-EPR and S-JdFR are used to re-evaluate the across-axis geochemical variations in major and trace elements at mid-ocean ridges (MORs). At two axial melt lens (AML) segments, north and south, at the 9-10°N EPR, N-MORB MgO varies across-axis from the most primitive above the AML to more evolved away from the axis. This trend is distinct at the northern (magmatically more robust) segment with an axial MgO range of 8-9 wt% and off-axis (>2km) range of 6.5-8 wt%. This decrease is also reflected in E-MORB MgO variation. There is more variability at the southern segment but, off-axis progression to more evolved MgO is still evident. Interestingly, the Cleft segment, JdFR, displays similar geochemical behavior to the EPR with an axial MgO range of 7-8.5 wt% and off-axis (>2km) range of 6-7.5 wt%. EPR geochemical studies over the past 30 years have described models of upper crustal accumulation ranging from eruptions limited to the axis, to temporal variation in the composition of magma in the AML, to multiple eruption sites across the ridge crest and flanks (<5km). Eruptions limited to the axis, with topographically controlled flow off-axis, cannot reproduce the observed off-axis change to more evolved N-MORB. Time-dependence could explain one instance of evolved lavas off-axis but, similar geochemical behavior is observed at two separate AML segments. Multiple instances of consistent compositional variability at multiple AML segments, and at different ridges, point to a common process of crustal accretion at MORs. In light of recent geophysical discoveries of Off-axis AMLs (OAMLs) at the EPR and JdFR, we propose that the trend of more evolved lavas for the majority of N-MORB lavas with distance from the axis is controlled by thermal distribution in the underlying crystal mush zone (CMZ). Higher magma flux beneath the axis facilitates higher temperatures and high porosity melt pathways, reducing crustal residence times, and erupting more primitive lava compositions. OAMLs at the edges of the CMZ, where it is cooler, feed more evolved off-axis eruptions. Lower magma flux at the edges increases crustal residence time and the extent to which magmas crystallize. OAMLs outside of the CMZ host magmas that may escaped any central mixing and erupt a greater range of compositions.

Origin of metaluminous and alkaline volcanic rocks of the Latir volcanic field, northern Rio Grande rift, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, C.M.; Lipman, P.W.

1988-01-01

Volcanic rocks of the Latir volcanic field evolved in an open system by crystal fractionation, magma mixing, and crustal assimilation. Early high-SiO2 rhyolites (28.5 Ma) fractionated from intermediate compositionmagmas that did not reach the surface. Most precaldera lavas have intermediate-compositions, from olivine basaltic-andesite (53% SiO2) to quartz latite (67% SiO2). The precaldera intermediate-composition lavas have anomalously high Ni and MgO contents and reversely zoned hornblende and augite phenocrysts, indicating mixing between primitive basalts and fractionated magmas. Isotopic data indicate that all of the intermediate-composition rocks studied contain large crustal components, although xenocrysts are found only in one unit. Inception of alkaline magmatism (alkalic dacite to high-SiO2 peralkaline rhyolite) correlates with, initiation of regional extension approximately 26 Ma ago. The Questa caldera formed 26.5 Ma ago upon eruption of the >500 km3 high-SiO2 peralkaline Amalia Tuff. Phenocryst compositions preserved in the cogenetic peralkaline granite suggest that the Amalia Tuff magma initially formed from a trace element-enriched, high-alkali metaluminous magma; isotopic data suggest that the parental magmas contain a large crustal component. Degassing of water- and halogen-rich alkali basalts may have provided sufficient volatile transport of alkalis and other elements into the overlying silicic magma chamber to drive the Amalia Tuff magma to peralkaline compositions. Trace element variations within the Amalia Tuff itself may be explained solely by 75% crystal fractionation of the observed phenocrysts. Crystal settling, however, is inconsistent with mineralogical variations in the tuff, and crystallization is thought to have occurred at a level below that tapped by the eruption. Spatially associated Miocene (15-11 Ma) lavas did not assimilate large amounts of crust or mix with primitive basaltic magmas. Both mixing and crustal assimilation processes appear to require development of relatively large magma chambers in the crust that are sustained by large basalt fluxes from the mantle. The lack of extensive crustal contamination and mixing in the Miocene lavas may be related to a decreased basalt flux or initiation of blockfaulting that prevented pooling of basaltic magma in the crust. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Seismic signature of crustal magma and fluid from deep seismic sounding data across Tengchong volcanic area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Z. M.; Zhang, Z. Z.; Wang, C. Y.; Klemperer, S. L.

2012-04-01

The weakened lithosphere around eastern syntax of Tibet plateau has been revealed by the Average Pn and Sn velocities, the 3D upper mantle velocity variations of P wave and S wave, and the iimaging results of magnetotelluric data. Tengchong volcanic area is neighboring to core of eastern syntax and famous for its springs, volcanic-geothermal activities and remarkable seismicity in mainland China. To probe the deep environment for the Tengchong volcanic-geothermal activity a deep seismic sounding (DSS) project was carried out across the this area in 1999. In this paper the seismic signature of crustal magma and fluid is explored from the DSS data with the seismic attribute fusion (SAF) technique, hence four possible positions for magma generation together with some locations for porous and fractured fluid beneath the Tengchong volcanic area were disclosed from the final fusion image of multi seismic attributes. The adopted attributes include the Vp, Vs and Vp/Vs results derived from a new inversion method based on the No-Ray-Tomography technique, and the migrated instantaneous attributes of central frequency, bandwidth and high frequency energy of pressure wave. Moreover, the back-projected ones which are mainly consisted by the attenuation factor Qp , the delay-time of shear wave splitting, and the amplitude ratio between S wave and P wave + S wave were also considered in this fusion process. Our fusion image indicates such a mechanism for the surface springs: a large amount of heat and the fluid released by the crystallization of magma were transmitted upward into the fluid-filled rock, and the fluid upwells along some pipeline since the high pressure in deep, thus the widespread springs of Tengchong volcanic area were developed. Moreover, the fusion image, regional volcanic and geothermal activities, and the seismicity suggest that the main risk of volcanic eruption was concentrated to the south of Tengchong city, especially around the shot point (SP) Tuantian. There are typical tectonic and deep origin mechanisms for the moderate-strong earthquakes nearby SP Tuantian, and precaution should be added on this area in case of the potential earthquake. Our fusion image also clearly revealed that there exist two remarkable positions on the Moho discontinuity through which the heat from the upper mantle was transmitted upward, and this is attributed to the widely distributed hot material within the crust and upper mantle. We acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Land and Resources of China (SinoProbe-02-02), and the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 41074033 and No. 40830315). Key Words: Seismic Signature, Magma, Tengchong Volcanic Area, Deep Seismic Sounding, Seismic Attribute Fusion Li, Chang, van der Hilst, D., Meltzer, A.S., Engdahl, E.R., 2008. Subduction of the Indian lithosphere beneath the Tibetan Plateau and Burma. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 274. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.07.016. Lebedev, S., van der Hilst, R.D., 2008. Global upper-mantle tomography with the automated multi-mode surface and S waveforms. Geophys. J. Int. 173 (2), 505-518. Wang C.Y. and Huangfu G.. 2004. Crustal structure in Tengchong Volcano-Geothermal Area, western Yunnan, China. Tectonophysics, 380: 69-87.

Crustal structure beneath the Kenya Rift from axial profile data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mechie, J.; Keller, Gordon R.; Prodehl, C.; Gaciri, S.; Braile, L.W.; Mooney, W.D.; Gajewski, D.; Sandmeier, K.-J.

1994-01-01

Modelling of the KRISP 90 axial line data shows that major crustal thinning occurs along the axis of the Kenya Rift from Moho depths of 35 km in the south beneath the Kenya Dome in the vicinity of Lake Naivasha to 20 km in the north beneath Lake Turkana. Low Pn velocities of 7.5-7.7 km/s are found beneath the whole of the axial line. The results indicate that crustal extension increases to the north and that the low Pn velocities are probably caused by magma (partial melt) rising from below and being trapped in the uppermost kilometres of the mantle. Along the axial line, the rift infill consisting of volcanics and a minor amount of sediments varies in thickness from zero where Precambrian crystalline basement highs occur to 5-6 km beneath the lakes Turkana and Naivasha. Analysis of the Pg phase shows that the upper crystalline crust has velocities of 6.1-6.3 km/s. Bearing in mind the Cainozoic volcanism associated with the rift, these velocities most probably represent Precambrian basement intruded by small amounts of igneous material. The boundary between the upper and lower crusts occurs at about 10 km depth beneath the northern part of the rift and 15 km depth beneath the southern part of the rift. The upper part of the lower crust has velocities of 6.4-6.5 km/s. The basal crustal layer which varies in thickness from a maximum of 2 km in the north to around 9 km in the south has a velocity of about 6.8 km/s. ?? 1994.

Magma surge from the mantle: the Father's Day Eruption, Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salem, L. C.; Edmonds, M.; Maclennan, J.; Houghton, B. F.; Poland, M. P.

2015-12-01

The geometry of the shallow plumbing system of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i, is constrained by both geophysical and petrologic studies, yet the loci of lower crustal magma storage and timescales of magma ascent are almost entirely unknown. The petrography and texture of erupted magmas are largely overprinted by processes in the shallow reservoir and conduit. Direct petrological evidence for lower crustal storage and transport is enigmatic but exists in the form of fine-scale crystal zoning in the cores of olivine phenocrysts, in the geochemical heterogeneity of melt inclusions and in fluid inclusion density. The 2007 Father's Day intrusion and eruption occurred at the culmination of a surge in magma supply to the summit reservoir and during a period of heightened CO2 outgassing flux. The erupted lavas provide an opportunity to analyze atypically primitive melts, with > 8.5 wt% MgO in the whole rock, which have undergone relatively little shallow crustal processing. We characterise melt inclusions and their host olivine crystals through a detailed study of olivine morphology, diffusion modelling, and melt and fluid inclusion geochemistry. We show that the melt inclusions preserve primitive geochemical heterogeneity, which we use to reconstruct fractionation, mixing and degassing processes through the crust. We infer timescales and pressures of magma ascent, storage, and CO2 degassing through the crustal plumbing system. These observations are interpreted in the context of the exceptionally detailed set of volcano monitoring data at Kīlauea Volcano.

The Sr, Nd and O isotopic studies of the 1991 1995 eruption at Unzen, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chang-Hwa; Nakada, Setsuya; Shieh, Yuch-Ning; DePaolo, Donald J.

1999-04-01

The magma generation at Unzen volcano may be considered as the product of crustal material mixed with mantle magma accompanied by fractional crystallization (AFC). The magma in the Unzen volcano is estimated to consist of about 50-80% of residual magma ( F) and about 30-70% assimilated crustal material ( A) relative to the original magma. Concerning the 1991-1995 eruption, it is estimated that the magma formed as the result of mixing of about 50-60% crustal material and about 55-65% of residual magma. An alternative magma eruption model for the 1991-1995 eruption is proposed here. In the early stage, the isotopic characteristics of 1991 eruption are defined by AFC process in the deeper magma chamber. Later, the magma ascended through the conduit and quiescently stayed for a long time in a shallow reservoir before eruption. The minerals continuously crystallized as phenocrysts especially at the chilled top and outer margin in the shallow chamber. The crystallized phenocryst mush was reworked into the central part of the magma chamber by means of magma convection and rapid magma ascent. Therefore, the reaction between phenocrysts and melt occurs only in internal chemical disequilibrium in the magma chamber. In contrast, the isotopic compositions of the original magma shall be little influenced by the above processes throughout its eruptive history. The 1991-1995 eruptive rocks of the Unzen volcano show their characteristics in Sr and Nd isotopic values independent of their two previous eruptions. However, the isotopic values of early eruptive product could represent the original magma value. This result also supports the previous work of Chen et al. (1993) [Chen, C.H., DePaolo, D.J., Nakada, S., Shieh, Y.N., 1993. Relationship between eruption volume and neodymium isotopic composition at Unzen volcano. Nature 362, 831-834], that suggested the ɛNd of early or precursory eruptive products could be a qualitative indicator of the maximum size of a continuing or impending eruption.

Two-pyroxene syenitoids from the Moldanubian Zone of the Bohemian Massif: peculiar magmas derived from a strongly enriched lithospheric mantle source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janoušek, Vojtěch; Holub, František; Gerdes, Axel; Verner, Kryštof

2013-04-01

(Ultra-)potassic plutonic rocks constitute a conspicuous association with metamorphic rocks of the high-grade, lower crustal/upper mantle Gföhl Unit (Moldanubian Zone). They can be subdivided into two contrasting suites: (1) coarse Kfs-phyric amphibole-biotite melagranite to quartz syenite (the durbachite series sensu Holub 1997), and (2) essentially even-grained biotite-two-pyroxene quartz syenites to melagranites (Tábor and Jihlava plutons). The latter, "syenitoid suite", characterized by an originally 'dry' mineral assemblage orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + Mg-biotite, with accessoric zircon, apatite, ilmenite, monazite and/or rutile ± Cr-spinel, is a subject of the current study. Our conventional U-Pb ages for zircon (336.9 ± 0.6 Ma) and rutile (336.8 ± 0.8 Ma) from the Tábor Pluton, together with the age from the Jihlava body (U-Pb zircon: 335.1 ± 0.6 Ma; Kotková et al. 2010), provide a precise time bracket for the emplacement and rapid cooling of the syenitoids below c.600 ° C (closure temperature of U-Pb system in rutile: Cherniak 2000). This is in line with post-tectonic emplacement of hot dry melt into shallow levels of essentially consolidated orogenic crust. Comparably low temperatures obtained by zircon and rutile saturation calculations document probably a delayed onset of crystallization of the accessories in a hot, alkalis and ferromagnesian components-rich magma derived from a mantle source. Indeed, the structural relations inside and around the ultrapotassic plutons suggest that the most important regional HT/LP flat-lying fabric(s) in the Moldanubian Zone are closely related with the emplacement and crystallization of the durbachite suite at 343-338 Ma. They have formed prior to the relatively shallower emplacement of the essentially post-tectonic syenitoids dated at ~337-336 Ma (Žák et al. 2005; Verner et al. 2006, 2008). The two magmatic suites are thus essentially diachronous and not (nearly) contemporaneous (c. 335 Ma) intrusions at contrasting crustal levels as assumed by Kotková et al. (2010). The syenitoid plutons show mutually comparable, crustal-like radiogenic isotope signatures with highly radiogenic Sr (87Sr/86Sr337= 0.7119-0.7125) and unradiogenic Nd (?Nd337 = -6.8 to -7.6). This, together with the rest of the whole-rock geochemical variation, is in line with a generation from a strongly enriched lithospheric mantle source. It was, shortly before, modified by a deep subduction and relamination of the upper crustal material, similar to the felsic HP granulites common in the Moldanubian Zone (Janoušek & Holub 2007; Lexa et al. 2011). The petrology and chemical data indicate that large-scale mixing with crustally-derived acid magmas can be largely or fully discounted and the key role is ascribed to closed-system fractional crystallization with, or without, crystal accumulation of various combinations of biotite, clinopyroxene and/or orthopyroxene with minor amounts of apatite. This stands in a sharp contrast with the history of volumetrically prevalent, slightly older, durbachite suite, in genesis of which the magma mixing of chemically and isotopically contrasting mantle and crustal components was clearly much more significant (Holub 1997). This research was financially supported by the GAR Project P210-11-2358 (to VJ).

Tomographic imaging of the transition from asthenospheric to lithospheric melt migration processes: 3-D structure of the topmost mantle and crust at the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnoux, G. M.; Toomey, D. R.; Hooft, E. E. E.; Wilcock, W. S. D.

2017-12-01

We present tomographic images of the intermediate-spreading Endeavour Segment that constrain the nature of an axial magmatic system as it transitions from asthenospheric- to lithospheric-dominated rheologies. We use seismic energy from 5500 air gun shots refracted through the crust (Pg), reflected off the Moho (PmP), and refracted below the Moho (Pn)—as recorded by 64 OBSs from the Endeavour tomography experiment—to image the isotropic and anisotropic P-wave velocity structure of the topmost mantle and crust, as well as crustal thickness. At crustal depths, results reveal a low-velocity zone (LVZ)—inferred to be the axial magmatic system—that: (i) is continuous along the entire Endeavour Segment at depths of 2-3 km below seafloor and closely follows the axis of spreading, (ii) broadens and becomes more discontinuous at lower crustal depths, and (iii) has its largest amplitude from the mid- to lower-crust at the segment center. The ridge-tracking trend of the mid-crustal LVZ is in contrast to the crustal thickness pattern; in particular, a swath of thin crust is skewed with respect to both the ridge axis and the mid-crustal magmatic system and connects two overlapping spreading centers bounding the segment. The trend of thinner crust, however, is aligned with the mantle LVZ, which constrains the thermal structure and distribution of melt within the topmost mantle. The systematic depth variation of the map-view orientation and structure of the magmatic system indicates a distinct transition from a broad, cross-axis regime in the topmost asthenosphere governed by a regional, north-south trending thermal structure, to a narrow, cross-axis regime in the mid- to upper-crust governed by lithospheric rifting, magma injection, and hydrothermal processes. The lower-crustal magmatic system connects these two regimes. We also postulate that accumulation and differentiation of magma immediately beneath the crust-mantle boundary increases temperatures and suppresses plagioclase crystallization, thereby reducing the depth of lower crustal accretion and resulting in the observed north-south trending swath of thinner crust.

Lateral heterogeneity of lunar volcanic activity according to volumes of mare basalts in the farside basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taguchi, Masako; Morota, Tomokatsu; Kato, Shinsuke

2017-07-01

Estimates for volumes of mare basalts are essential to understand the thermal conditions of the lunar mantle and its lateral heterogeneity. In this study, we estimated the thicknesses and volumes of mare basalts within five farside basins, Apollo, Ingenii, Poincare, Freundlich-Sharonov, and Mendel-Rydberg, using premare craters buried by mare basalts and postmare craters that penetrated/nonpenetrated mare basalts employing topographic and multiband image data obtained by SELENE (Kaguya). Furthermore, using the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory crustal thickness model and the mare volumes estimated by this and previous studies, we investigated the relationship between the volumes of the mare basalts and the crustal thicknesses. The results suggest that the minimum crustal thicknesses within the basins were a dominant factor determining whether magma erupted at the surface and that the critical crustal thicknesses for magma eruption were 10 km on the farside and >20 km on the nearside. The total areas of the regions in which magmas could erupt at the surface are 10 times larger on the nearside than on the farside. A comparison between the mare volumes within the mare basins on the nearside and the farside shows that magma production in the farside mantle might have been 20 times smaller than that in the nearside mantle, implying a stronger dichotomy than previously estimated. These results suggest that the mare hemispherical asymmetry should be attributed to both the difference in the crustal thickness distribution and the difference in the quantity of magma production between the nearside and farside mantles.

Magmatic infiltration and melting in the lower crust and upper mantle beneath the Cima volcanic field, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilshire, H.G.; McGuire, A.V.

1996-01-01

Xenoliths of lower crustal and upper mantle rocks from the Cima volcanic field (CVF) commonly contain glass pockets, veins, and planar trains of glass and/or fluid inclusions in primary minerals. Glass pockets occupy spaces formerly occupied by primary minerals of the host rocks, but there is a general lack of correspondence between the composition of the glass and that of the replaced primary minerals. The melting is considered to have been induced by infiltration of basaltic magma and differentiates of basaltic magma from complex conduits formed by hydraulic fracturing of the mantle and crustal rocks, and to have occurred during the episode of CVF magmatism between ???7.5 Ma and present. Variable compositions of quenched melts resulted from mixing of introduced melts and products of melting of primary minerals, reaction with primary minerals, partial crystallization, and fractionation resulting from melt and volatile expulsion upon entrainment of the xenoliths. High silica melts (> ??? 60% SiO2) may result by mixing introduced melts with siliceous melts produced by reaction of orthopyroxene. Other quenched melt compositions range from those comparable to the host basalts to those with intermediate Si compositions and elevated Al, alkalis, Ti, P, and S; groundmass compositions of CVF basalts are consistent with infiltration of fractionates of those basalts, but near-solidus melting may also contribute to formation of glass with intermediate silica contents with infiltration only of volatile constituents.

The alkaline Meidob volcanic field (Late Cenozoic, northwest Sudan)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franz, Gerhard; Breitkreuz, Christoph; Coyle, David A.; El Hur, Bushra; Heinrich, Wilhelm; Paulick, Holger; Pudlo, Dieter; Smith, Robyn; Steiner, Gesine

1997-08-01

The Meidob volcanic field (MVF) forms part of the Darfur Volcanic Province and developed from 7 Ma to 5 ka as indicated by K/Ar, thermoluminescence and 14C ages. It is situated in an uplifted high of the Pan-African basement, which consists of greenstones, high-grade gneisses and granites, and which is covered by Cretaceous sandstone. The MVF basaltic lavas, which originated from more than 300 scoria cones, formed a lava plateau of 50×100 km and up to 400 m thickness in the time between 7 and < 0.3 Ma. Young phonolitic mesa flows, together with rare trachyticbenmoreitic lava flows, trachytic pumice fallout deposits, ignimbrites and maars, form the central part of the field. The total amount of volcanic rocks is between 1400 and 1800 km 3, with 98 vol.% being basaltic rocks, which results in an integrated magma output rate of ˜ 0.0002 km 3 a -1. A combination of age data of the lavas with erosional features yields uplift rates for the Darfur Dome of ˜30 m Ma- 1 in the MVF area. Magma was generated by 3-5% melting of predominantly asthenospheric mantle with a HIMU contribution. Fractionation of olivine, pyroxene, An-poor plagioclaseanorthoclase, magnetite and apatite leads to a differentiation from basanite to phonolite. Assimilation of crustal rocks near the top of the phonolitic upper crustal magma chambers - facilitated by volatile enrichment - produced magmas which gave way to benmoreitic and trachytic lavas, as well as to trachytic ignimbrites and pumice fallout deposits. Ultramafic cumulate xenoliths indicate the existence of major magma reservoirs at the crust-mantle boundary during MVF activity. Magma ascent occurred in a tensional regime, which changed its orientation at around 1 Ma. Early during MVF development, west-east and subordinately northeastsouthwest trending lineaments were active whereas volcanic activity younger than 1 Ma took place along northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest trending systems. The Central African Fault Zone, a transcontinental, lithospheric shear zone, played an important role for the rise of magmas in the Darfur Dome.

Chemical layering in the upper mantle of Mars: Evidence from olivine-hosted melt inclusions in Tissint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu Sarbadhikari, A.; Babu, E. V. S. S. K.; Vijaya Kumar, T.

2017-02-01

Melting of Martian mantle, formation, and evolution of primary magma from the depleted mantle were previously modeled from experimental petrology and geochemical studies of Martian meteorites. Based on in situ major and trace element study of a range of olivine-hosted melt inclusions in various stages of crystallization of Tissint, a depleted olivine-phyric shergottite, we further constrain different stages of depletion and enrichment in the depleted mantle source of the shergottite suite. Two types of melt inclusions were petrographically recognized. Type I melt inclusions occur in the megacrystic olivine core (Fo76-70), while type II melt inclusions are hosted by the outer mantle of the olivine (Fo66-55). REE-plot indicates type I melt inclusions, which are unique because they represent the most depleted trace element data from the parent magmas of all the depleted shergottites, are an order of magnitude depleted compared to the type II melt inclusions. The absolute REE content of type II displays parallel trend but somewhat lower value than the Tissint whole-rock. Model calculations indicate two-stage mantle melting events followed by enrichment through mixing with a hypothetical residual melt from solidifying magma ocean. This resulted in 10 times enrichment of incompatible trace elements from parent magma stage to the remaining melt after 45% crystallization, simulating the whole-rock of Tissint. We rule out any assimilation due to crustal recycling into the upper mantle, as proposed by a recent study. Rather, we propose the presence of Al, Ca, Na, P, and REE-rich layer at the shallower upper mantle above the depleted mantle source region during the geologic evolution of Mars.

Testing a New Method for Imaging Crustal Magma Bodies: A Pilot Study at Newberry Volcano, Central OR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beachly, M. W.; Hooft, E. E.; Toomey, D. R.; Waite, G. P.; Durant, D. T.

2010-12-01

Magmatic systems are often imaged using delay time seismic tomography, though a known limitation is that wavefront healing limits the ability of transmitted waves to detect small, low-velocity regions such as magma chambers. Crustal magma chambers have been successfully identified using secondary arrivals, including both P and S wave reflections and conversions. Such secondary phases are often recorded by marine seismic experiments owing to the density and quality of airgun data, which improves the identification of coherent arrivals. In 2008 we conducted a pilot study at Newberry volcano to test a new method of detecting secondary arrivals in a terrestrial setting. Our experimental geometry used a line of densely spaced (~300 m), three-component seismometers to record a shot-of-opportunity from the High Lave Plains Experiment. An ideal study would record several shots, however, data from this single event proves the concept. As part of our study, we also reanalyze all existing seismic data from Newberry volcano to obtain a tomographic image of the velocity structure to 6 km depth. Newberry is a lone shield volcano in central Oregon, located 40 km east of the Cascade axis. Newberry eruptions are silicic within the central caldera and mafic on its periphery suggesting a central silicic magma storage system, possibly located at upper crustal depths. The system may still be active with a recent eruption ~1300 years ago, and a central drill hole temperature of 256° C at only 932 m depth. A low-velocity anomaly previously imaged at 3-5 km beneath the caldera indicates either a magma body or a fractured pluton. Our tomographic study combines our 2008 seismic data with profile and array data collected in the 1980s by the USGS. In total, the inversion includes 16 active sources and 322 receivers yielding 1007 P-wave first arrivals. Beneath the caldera ring faults we image a high-velocity ring-like anomaly extending to 2 km depth. This anomaly is inferred to be near-vertical ring-dikes, 200-500 m thick, that resulted from caldera formation 5 mya. Low velocities imaged within the ring are attributed to caldera fill. Below 2.5 km depth a pair of high velocity bodies may be solidified intrusive complexes east and west of the caldera. Our results also indicate a low velocity body between 4-6 km depth although it is poorly resolved by delay time data. Tomographic inversions of synthetic data suggest that the observed travel times are consistent with a low-velocity body up to 35 km3 with up to 40% velocity reduction. Using data from our densely instrumented 2008 seismic profile, we identify a secondary P-wave arrival that originates from beneath the caldera. Preliminary finite-difference waveform modeling produces a similar arrival for a model including a low-velocity body with a 2-km-long melt sill at 3 km depth underlain by a partial-melt region to 5 km depth. The secondary arrival provides additional evidence for an active crustal magmatic system beneath Newberry volcano and demonstrates the potential of novel experimental geometries for detecting and locating terrestrial crustal magma bodies.

Distinctly different parental magmas for plutons and lavas in the central Aleutian arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Y.; Rioux, M. E.; Kelemen, P. B.; Goldstein, S. L.; Bolge, L.; Kylander-Clark, A. R.

2014-12-01

While it is generally agreed that continental crust is generated by arc magmatism, average arc lavas are basaltic while the bulk continental crust is andesitic, and this has led to many models for secondary reprocessing of the arc crust in order to form continental crust. We report new data on calc-alkaline plutons in the central Aleutians showing that they have distinctly different sources compared to Holocene tholeiitic lavas. Therefore the lavas are not representative of the net magmatic transfer from the mantle into the arc crust. Eocene to Miocene (9-39 Ma) intermediate to felsic plutonic rocks from the central Aleutian arc show higher SiO2 at a given Mg#, higher ɛNd- and ɛHf-values, and lower Pb isotope ratios than Holocene volcanic rocks from the same region. Instead, the plutonic rocks resemble volcanics from the western Aleutians isotopically, and have chemical compositions similar to bulk continental crust. These data could reflect temporal variation of Aleutian magma source compositions, from Eocene-Miocene "isotopically depleted" and predominantly calc-alkaline to Holocene "isotopically enriched" and predominantly tholeiitic. Alternatively, they may reflect different transport and emplacement processes for the magmas that form plutons and lavas: calc-alkaline magmas with higher Si content and high viscosity may preferentially form plutons, perhaps after extensive mid-crustal degassing of initially high water contents. The latter case implies that the upper and middle arc crust is more like the calc-alkaline bulk composition of the continental crust than the lavas alone. Crustal reprocessing mechanisms that preserve upper and middle arc crust, while removing lower arc crust, can account for the genesis and evolution of continental crust. Since gabbroic lower arc crust extends from ca 20-40 km depth, and is density stable over most of this depth range, "delamination" of dense lithologies [1] may not be sufficient to accomplish this. Alternatively, subduction erosion of arc crust followed by "relamination" [2] of buoyant calc-alkaline rocks may be more effective. [1] e.g. Ringwood & Green, Tectonophysics 1966; Herzberg et al. Contributions to mineralogy and petrology 1983; [2] e.g. Hacker et al. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 2011.

Petrogenesis of the granitic Donkerhuk batholith in the Damara Belt of Namibia: protracted, syntectonic, short-range, crustal magma transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clemens, J. D.; Buick, I. S.; Kisters, A. F. M.; Frei, D.

2017-07-01

The areally extensive (>5000 km2), syn-tectonic, ca. 520 Ma, mainly S-type Donkerhuk batholith was constructed through injection of thousands of mainly sheet-like magma pulses over 20-25 Myr. It intruded schists of the Southern Zone accretionary prism in the Damara Belt of Namibia. Each magma pulse had at least partly crystallised prior to the arrival of the following batch. However, much of the batholith may have remained partially molten for long periods, close to the H2O-saturated granite solidus. The batholith shows extreme variation in chemistry, while having limited mineralogical variation, and seems to be the world's most heterogeneous granitic mass. The Nd model ages of 2 Ga suggest that Eburnean rocks of the former magmatic arc, structurally overlain by the accretionary wedge, are the most probable magma sources. Crustal melting was initiated by mantle heat flux, probably introduced by thermal diffusion rather than magma advection. The granitic magmas were transferred from source to sink, with minimal intermediate storage; the whole process having occurred in the middle crust, resulting in feeble crustal differentiation despite the huge volume of silicic magma generated. Source heterogeneity controlled variation in the magmas and neither mixing nor fractionation was prominent. However, due to the transpressional emplacement régime, local filter pressing formed highly silicic liquids, as well as felsic cumulate rocks. The case of the Donkerhuk batholith demonstrates that emplacement-level tectonics can significantly influence compositional evolution of very large syn-tectonic magma bodies.

Rift migration explains continental margin asymmetry and crustal hyper-extension

PubMed Central

Brune, Sascha; Heine, Christian; Pérez-Gussinyé, Marta; Sobolev, Stephan V.

2014-01-01

When continents break apart, continental crust and lithosphere are thinned until break-up is achieved and an oceanic basin is formed. The most remarkable and least understood structures associated with this process are up to 200 km wide areas of hyper-extended continental crust, which are partitioned between conjugate margins with pronounced asymmetry. Here we show, using high-resolution thermo-mechanical modelling, that hyper-extended crust and margin asymmetry are produced by steady state rift migration. We demonstrate that rift migration is accomplished by sequential, oceanward-younging, upper crustal faults, and is balanced through lower crustal flow. Constraining our model with a new South Atlantic plate reconstruction, we demonstrate that larger extension velocities may account for southward increasing width and asymmetry of these conjugate magma-poor margins. Our model challenges conventional ideas of rifted margin evolution, as it implies that during rift migration large amounts of material are transferred from one side of the rift zone to the other. PMID:24905463

Degassing system from the magma reservoir of Miyakejima volcano revealed by GPS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oikawa, J.; Nakao, S.; Matsushima, T.

2013-12-01

Miyake-jima is a volcanic island located approximately 180 km south of Tokyo. The island is an active basaltic volcano that was dormant for a 17-year period between an eruption in 1983 and June 26, 2000, when it again became active. The volcanic activity that occurred in 2000 is divided into the following four stages: the magma intrusion stage, summit subsidence stage, summit eruptive stage, and degassing stage (Nakada et al., 2001). Earthquake swarm activity began on June 26, 2000, accompanied by large-scale crustal deformation. This led to a summit eruption on July 8, 2000. Based on the pattern of hypocenter migration and the nature of crustal deformation, it was estimated that magma migrated from beneath the summit of Miyake-jima to the northwest during the magma intrusion stage. The rapid collapse of the summit took place between July 8 and the beginning of August 2000 (summit subsidence stage). Large-scale eruptions took place on August 10, 18, and 29, 2000 (explosion stage). The eruptions largely ceased after August 29, followed by the release of large amounts of gas from the summit crater (degassing stage). In this study, we examined the location of the magma reservoir during the degassing stage based on crustal deformation observed by GPS. By comparing the amounts of degassing and volume change of the magma reservoir, as determined from crustal deformation, we determined the mechanism of degassing and the nature of the magma reservoir-vent system. According to observations by the Japan Meteorological Agency, a large amount of volcanic gas began to be released from Miyake-jima in September 2000 (Kazahaya et al., 2003). Approximately 42,000 tons/day of SO2 was released during the period between September 2000 and January 2001. Analysis of GPS data during the period [Figure 1] indicates a source of crustal deformation on the south side of the summit crater wall at a depth of 5.2 km. The rate of volume change was -3.8 x 106 m3/month [Figure 2]. As the volume is equivalent to the volume occupied by the volatile components such as SO2, H2O, CO2 dissolved in the magma, it is proposed that contraction of the magma reservoir reflects degassing of its volatile components. The observations indicate that the magma reservoir is connected to the summit crater by a magma-filled vent. Convection within the vent carries volatile-rich magma upward to the crater, where volcanic gas is released by degassing. The depleted magma is then carried into the magma reservoir, which contracts due to the loss of volume originally occupied by the volcanic gas. Figure 1 shows displacements per month. Vectors show the horizontal movements. Contours and shading indicate vertical displacement. Figure 2 shows theoretical displacement assuming the Mogi model.

Timescale of Petrogenetic Processes Recorded in the Mount Perkins Magma System, Northern Colorado River Extension Corridor, Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danielson, Lisa R.; Metcalf, Rodney V.; Miller, Calvin F.; Rhodes Gregory T.; Wooden, J. L.

2013-01-01

The Miocene Mt. Perkins Pluton is a small composite intrusive body emplaced in the shallow crust as four separate phases during the earliest stages of crustal extension. Phase 1 (oldest) consists of isotropic hornblende gabbro and a layered cumulate sequence. Phase 2 consists of quartz monzonite to quartz monzodiorite hosting mafic microgranitoid enclaves. Phase 3 is composed of quartz monzonite and is subdivided into mafic enclave-rich zones and enclave-free zones. Phase 4 consists of aphanitic dikes of mafic, intermediate and felsic compositions hosting mafic enclaves. Phases 2-4 enclaves record significant isotopic disequilibrium with surrounding granitoid host rocks, but collectively enclaves and host rocks form a cogenetic suite exhibiting systematic variations in Nd-Sr-Pb isotopes that correlate with major and trace elements. Phases 2-4 record multiple episodes of magma mingling among cogenetic hybrid magmas that formed via magma mixing and fractional crystallization at a deeper crustal. The mafic end-member was alkali basalt similar to nearby 6-4 Ma basalt with enriched OIB-like trace elements and Nd-Sr-Pb isotopes. The felsic end-member was a subalkaline crustal-derived magma. Phase 1 isotropic gabbro exhibits elemental and isotopic compositional variations at relatively constant SiO2, suggesting generation of isotropic gabbro by an open-system process involving two mafic end-members. One end-member is similar in composition to the OIB-like mafic end-member for phases 2-4; the second is similar to nearby 11-8 Ma tholeiite basalt exhibiting low epsilon (sub Nd), and depleted incompatible trace elements. Phase 1 cumulates record in situ fractional crystallization of an OIB-like mafic magma with isotopic evidence of crustal contamination by partial melts generated in adjacent Proterozoic gneiss. The Mt Perkins pluton records a complex history in a lithospheric scale magma system involving two distinct mantle-derived mafic magmas and felsic magma sourced in the crust. Mixing and fractional crystallization of these magmas at various levels in the crust generated a suite of intermediate composition magmas. U-Pb zircon SHRIMP ages of phase 1 (15.7 +/- 0.2 Ma), phase 3 (15.8 +/- 0.2 Ma) and phase 4 (15.4 +/- 0.3 Ma) document a 100-300k year timescale for petrogenetic processes recorded in the Mt Perkins magma system.

Crustal Strain Patterns in Magmatic and Amagmatic Early Stage Rifts: Border Faults, Magma Intrusion, and Volatiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebinger, C. J.; Keir, D.; Roecker, S. W.; Tiberi, C.; Aman, M.; Weinstein, A.; Lambert, C.; Drooff, C.; Oliva, S. J. C.; Peterson, K.; Bourke, J. R.; Rodzianko, A.; Gallacher, R. J.; Lavayssiere, A.; Shillington, D. J.; Khalfan, M.; Mulibo, G. D.; Ferdinand-Wambura, R.; Palardy, A.; Albaric, J.; Gautier, S.; Muirhead, J.; Lee, H.

2015-12-01

Rift initiation in thick, strong continental lithosphere challenges current models of continental lithospheric deformation, in part owing to gaps in our knowledge of strain patterns in the lower crust. New geophysical, geochemical, and structural data sets from youthful magmatic (Magadi-Natron, Kivu), weakly magmatic (Malawi, Manyara), and amagmatic (Tanganyika) sectors of the cratonic East African rift system provide new insights into the distribution of brittle strain, magma intrusion and storage, and time-averaged deformation. We compare and contrast time-space relations, seismogenic layer thickness variations, and fault kinematics using earthquakes recorded on local arrays and teleseisms in sectors of the Western and Eastern rifts, including the Natron-Manyara basins that developed in Archaean lithosphere. Lower crustal seismicity occurs in both the Western and Eastern rifts, including sectors on and off craton, and those with and without central rift volcanoes. In amagmatic sectors, lower crustal strain is accommodated by slip along relatively steep border faults, with oblique-slip faults linking opposing border faults that penetrate to different crustal levels. In magmatic sectors, seismicity spans surface to lower crust beneath both border faults and eruptive centers, with earthquake swarms around magma bodies. Our focal mechanisms and Global CMTs from a 2007 fault-dike episode show a local rotation from ~E-W extension to NE-SE extension in this linkage zone, consistent with time-averaged strain recorded in vent and eruptive chain alignments. These patterns suggest that strain localization via widespread magma intrusion can occur during the first 5 My of rifting in originally thick lithosphere. Lower crustal seismicity in magmatic sectors may be caused by high gas pressures and volatile migration from active metasomatism and magma degassing, consistent with high CO2 flux along fault zones, and widespread metasomatism of xenoliths. Volatile release and migration may be critical to strength reduction of initially cold, strong cratonic lithosphere. Our comparisons suggest that large offset border faults that develop very early in rift history create fluid pathways that maintain the initial along-axis segmentation until magma (if available), reaches mid-crustal levels.

Plume-driven plumbing and crustal formation in Iceland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, R.M.; Nolet, G.; Morgan, W.J.; Vogfjord, K.; Nettles, M.; Ekstrom, G.; Bergsson, B.H.; Erlendsson, P.; Foulger, G.R.; Jakobsdottir, S.; Julian, B.R.; Pritchard, M.; Ragnarsson, S.; Stefansson, R.

2002-01-01

Through combination of surface wave and body wave constraints we derive a three-dimensional (3-D) crustal S velocity model and Moho map for Iceland. It reveals a vast plumbing system feeding mantle plume melt into upper crustal magma chambers where crustal formation takes place. The method is based on the partitioned waveform inversion to which we add additional observations. Love waves from six local events recorded on the HOTSPOT-SIL networks are fitted, Sn travel times from the same events measured, previous observations of crustal thickness are added, and all three sets of constraints simultaneously inverted for our 3-D model. In the upper crust (0-15 km) an elongated low-velocity region extends along the length of the Northern, Eastern and Western Neovolcanic Zones. The lowest velocities (-7%) are found at 5-10 km below the two most active volcanic complexes: Hekla and Bardarbunga-Grimsvotn. In the lower crust (>15 km) the low-velocity region can be represented as a vertical cylinder beneath central Iceland. The low-velocity structure is interpreted as the thermal halo of pipe work which connects the region of melt generation in the uppermost mantle beneath central Iceland to active volcanoes along the neovolcanic zones. Crustal thickness in Iceland varies from 15-20 km beneath the Reykjanes Peninsula, Krafla and the extinct Snfellsnes rift zone, to 46 km beneath central Iceland. The average crustal thickness is 29 km. The variations in thickness can be explained in terms of the temporal variation in plume productivity over the last ~20 Myr, the Snfellsnes rift zone being active during a minimum in plume productivity. Variations in crustal thickness do not depart significantly from an isostatically predicted crustal thickness. The best fit linear isostatic relation implies an average density jump of 4% across the Moho. Rare earth element inversions of basalt compositions on Iceland suggest a melt thickness (i.e., crustal thickness) of 15-20 km, given passive upwelling. The observed crustal thickness of up to 46 km implies active fluxing of source material through the melt zone by the mantle plume at up to 3 times the passive rate.

Re-appraisal of the Magma-rich versus Magma-poor Paradigm at Rifted Margins: consequences for breakup processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tugend, J.; Gillard, M.; Manatschal, G.; Nirrengarten, M.; Harkin, C. J.; Epin, M. E.; Sauter, D.; Autin, J.; Kusznir, N. J.; McDermott, K.

2017-12-01

Rifted margins are often classified based on their magmatic budget only. Magma-rich margins are commonly considered to have excess decompression melting at lithospheric breakup compared with steady state seafloor spreading while magma-poor margins have suppressed melting. New observations derived from high quality geophysical data sets and drill-hole data have revealed the diversity of rifted margin architecture and variable distribution of magmatism. Recent studies suggest, however, that rifted margins have more complex and polyphase tectono-magmatic evolutions than previously assumed and cannot be characterized based on the observed volume of magma alone. We compare the magmatic budget related to lithospheric breakup along two high-resolution long-offset deep reflection seismic profiles across the SE-Indian (magma-poor) and Uruguayan (magma-rich) rifted margins. Resolving the volume of magmatic additions is difficult. Interpretations are non-unique and several of them appear plausible for each case involving variable magmatic volumes and mechanisms to achieve lithospheric breakup. A supposedly 'magma-poor' rifted margin (SE-India) may show a 'magma-rich' lithospheric breakup whereas a 'magma-rich' rifted margin (Uruguay) does not necessarily show excess magmatism at lithospheric breakup compared with steady-state seafloor spreading. This questions the paradigm that rifted margins can be subdivided in either magma-poor or magma-rich margins. The Uruguayan and other magma-rich rifted margins appear characterized by an early onset of decompression melting relative to crustal breakup. For the converse, where the onset of decompression melting is late compared with the timing of crustal breakup, mantle exhumation can occur (e.g. SE-India). Our work highlights the difficulty in determining a magmatic budget at rifted margins based on seismic reflection data alone, showing the limitations of margin classification based solely on magmatic volumes. The timing of decompression melting onset and melting rates (magmatic processes) relative to crustal thinning (tectonic processes) appear equally, if not more important, than the magmatic budget for unravelling the evolution of rifted margins.

Stochastic modelling of deep magmatic controls on porphyry copper deposit endowment.

PubMed

Chiaradia, Massimo; Caricchi, Luca

2017-03-15

Porphyry deposits, our main source of copper and of significant amounts of Mo, Re and Au, form at convergent margins in association with intermediate-felsic magmas. Although it is accepted that copper is transported and precipitated by fluids released by these magmas, the magmatic processes leading to the formation of economic deposits remain elusive. Here we perform Monte Carlo petrological and geochemical modelling to quantitatively link crustal magmatic processes and the geochemical signatures of magmas (i.e., Sr/Y) to the formation of porphyry Cu deposits of different sizes. Our analysis shows that economic deposits (particularly the largest ones) may only form in association with magma accumulated in the lower-middle crust (P > ~0.5 GPa) during ≥2-3 Ma, and subsequently transferred to and degassed in the upper crust over periods of up to ~2.0 Ma. Magma accumulation and evolution at shallower depths (<~0.4 GPa) dramatically reduces the potential of magmatic systems to produce economic deposits. Our modelling also predicts the association of the largest porphyry deposits with a specific Sr/Y interval (~100 ± 50) of the associated magmatic rocks, which is virtually identical to the range measured in giant porphyry copper deposits.

Stochastic modelling of deep magmatic controls on porphyry copper deposit endowment

PubMed Central

Chiaradia, Massimo; Caricchi, Luca

2017-01-01

Porphyry deposits, our main source of copper and of significant amounts of Mo, Re and Au, form at convergent margins in association with intermediate-felsic magmas. Although it is accepted that copper is transported and precipitated by fluids released by these magmas, the magmatic processes leading to the formation of economic deposits remain elusive. Here we perform Monte Carlo petrological and geochemical modelling to quantitatively link crustal magmatic processes and the geochemical signatures of magmas (i.e., Sr/Y) to the formation of porphyry Cu deposits of different sizes. Our analysis shows that economic deposits (particularly the largest ones) may only form in association with magma accumulated in the lower-middle crust (P > ~0.5 GPa) during ≥2–3 Ma, and subsequently transferred to and degassed in the upper crust over periods of up to ~2.0 Ma. Magma accumulation and evolution at shallower depths (<~0.4 GPa) dramatically reduces the potential of magmatic systems to produce economic deposits. Our modelling also predicts the association of the largest porphyry deposits with a specific Sr/Y interval (~100 ± 50) of the associated magmatic rocks, which is virtually identical to the range measured in giant porphyry copper deposits. PMID:28295045

Magmatism and crustal extension: Constraining activation of the ductile shearing along the Gediz detachment, Menderes Massif (western Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossetti, Federico; Asti, Riccardo; Faccenna, Claudio; Gerdes, Axel; Lucci, Federico; Theye, Thomas

2017-06-01

The Menderes Massif of western Turkey is a key area to study feedback relationships between magma generation/emplacement and activation of extensional detachment tectonics. Here, we present new textural analysis and in situ U-(Th)-Pb titanite dating from selected samples collected in the transition from the undeformed to the mylonitized zones of the Salihli granodiorite at the footwall of the Neogene, ductile-to-brittle, top-to-the-NNE Gediz-Alaşheir (GDF) detachment fault. Ductile shearing was accompanied by the fluid-mediated sub-solidus transformation of the granodiorite to orthogneiss, which occurred at shallower crustal levels and temperatures compatible with the upper greenschist-to-amphibolite facies metamorphic conditions (530-580 °C and P < 2 GPa). The syn-tectonic metamorphic overgrowth of REE-poor titanite on pristine REE-rich igneous titanite offers the possibility to constrain the timing of magma crystallisation and solid-state shearing at the footwall of the Gediz detachment. The common Pb corrected 206Pb/238U (206Pb*/238U) ages and the REE re-distribution in titanite that spatially correlates with the Th/U zoning suggests that titanite predominantly preserve open-system ages during fluid-assisted syn-tectonic re-crystallisation in the transition from magma crystallization and emplacement (at 16-17 Ma) to the syn-tectonic, solid-state shearing (at 14-15 Ma). A minimum time lapse of ca. 1-2 Ma is then inferred between the crustal emplacement of the Salihli granodiorite and nucleation of the ductile extensional shearing along the Gediz detachment. The reconstruction of the cooling history of the Salihli granodiorite documents a punctuated evolution dominated by two episodes of rapid cooling, between 14 Ma and 12 Ma ( 100 °C/Ma) and between 3 and 2 Ma ( 105 °C/Ma). We relate the first episode to nucleation and development of post-emplacement of ductile shearing along the GDF and the second to brittle high-angle faulting, respectively. Our dataset suggests that in the Menderes Massif the activation of ductile extension was a consequence, rather than the cause, of magma emplacement in the extending crust.

Response of zircon to melting and metamorphism in deep arc crust, Fiordland (New Zealand): implications for zircon inheritance in cordilleran granites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Shrema; Kemp, A. I. S.; Collins, W. J.

2018-04-01

The Cretaceous Mount Daniel Complex (MDC) in northern Fiordland, New Zealand was emplaced as a 50 m-thick dyke and sheet complex into an active shear zone at the base of a Cordilleran magmatic arc. It was emplaced below the 20-25 km-thick, 125.3 ± 1.3 Ma old Western Fiordland Orthogneiss (WFO) and is characterized by metre-scale sheets of sodic, low and high Sr/Y diorites and granites. 119.3 ± 1.2 Ma old, pre-MDC lattice dykes and 117.4 ± 3.1 Ma late-MDC lattice dykes constrain the age of the MDC itself. Most dykes were isoclinally folded as they intruded, but crystallised within this deep-crustal, magma-transfer zone as the terrain cooled and was buried from 25 to 50 km (9-14 kbar), based on published P-T estimated from the surrounding country rocks. Zircon grains formed under these magmatic/granulite facies metamorphic conditions were initially characterized by conservatively assigning zircons with oscillatory zoning as igneous and featureless rims as metamorphic, representing 54% of the analysed grains. Further petrological assignment involved additional parameters such as age, morphology, Th/U ratios, REE patterns and Ti-in-zircon temperature estimates. Using this integrative approach, assignment of analysed grains to metamorphic or igneous groupings improved to 98%. A striking feature of the MDC is that only 2% of all igneous zircon grains reflect emplacement, so that the zircon cargo was almost entirely inherited, even in dioritic magmas. Metamorphic zircons of MDC show a cooler temperature range of 740-640 °C, reflects the moderate ambient temperature of the lower crust during MDC emplacement. The MDC also provides a cautionary tale: in the absence of robust field and microstructural relations, the igneous-zoned zircon population at 122.1 ± 1.3 Ma, derived mostly from inherited zircons of the WFO, would be meaningless in terms of actual magmatic emplacement age of MDC, where the latter is further obscured by younger (ca. 114 Ma) metamorphic overgrowths. Thus, our integrative approach provides the opportunity to discriminate between igneous and metamorphic zircon within deep-crustal complexes. Also, without the tight field relations at Mt Daniel, the scatter beyond a statistically coherent group might be ascribed to the presence of "antecrysts", but it is clear that the WFO solidified before the MDC was emplaced, and these older "igneous" grains are inherited. The bimodal age range of inherited igneous grains, dominated by 125 Ma and 350-320 Ma age clusters, indicate that the adjacent WFO and a Carboniferous metaigneous basement were the main sources of the MDC magmas. Mafic lenses, stretched and highly attenuated into wisps within the MDC and dominated by 124 Ma inherited zircons, are considered to be entrained restitic material from the WFO. A comparison with lower- and upper-crustal, high Sr/Y metaluminous granites elsewhere in Fiordland shows that zircon inheritance is common in the deep crust, near the source region, but generally much less so in coeval, shallow magma chambers (plutons). This is consistent with previous modelling on rapid zircon dissolution rates and high Zr saturation concentrations in metaluminous magmas. Accordingly, unless unusual circumstances exist, such as MDC preservation in the deep crust, low temperatures of magma generation, or rapid emplacement and crystallization at higher structural levels, information on zircon inheritance in upper crustal, Cordilleran plutons is lost during zircon dissolution, along with information on the age, nature and variety of the source material. The observation that dioritic magmas can form at these low temperatures (< 750 °C) also suggests that the petrogenesis of mafic rocks in the arc root might need to be re-assessed.

Models of Deformation of Uppermost Oceanic Lithosphere: Comparison of Crustal Flexure in the Blönduós Area, Northern Iceland, and Structure of East Pacific Rise Crust at Hess Deep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, A. J.; Karson, J. A.; Varga, R. J.; Gee, J. S.

2007-12-01

Models of the internal structure of oceanic crust have been constructed from studies of ophiolites and from more recent observations of tectonic windows into the upper crust. Spreading rate and/or magma supply are the central variables that control ridge processes and the ultimate architecture of ocean crust. In addition to ophiolites, Iceland also provides an important analog to study mid-ocean ridge processes and structure. Flexure zones in Iceland characterize the structure of Tertiary-Recent lava flows, and are areas wherein lavas dip regionally inward toward the axis of one of several ~N/S-trending rift zones. These rift zones are interpreted to represent fossil spreading centers which were abandoned during a series of eastward-directed ridge jumps. In the Hildará area, north-central Iceland, the eastern side of a regional flexure is characterized by westward-dipping lavas, approximately 6-8 Ma, which are cut by east-dipping normal faults and dikes. The upper-crustal structure within this flexure zone from slow spread (~20 mm/yr) crust exhibits remarkable similarities to the structure of the upper crust created at a fast-spreading (110 mm/yr) segment of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) observed at Hess Deep. In this modern ocean setting, ~1 Ma crust is characterized by west-dipping lavas above consistently east-dipping (away from the EPR) dikes and dike-subparallel fault zones. In both locations, paleomagnetic and structural data indicate that west-dipping lavas and east-dipping dikes result from tectonic rotations. In addition, cross-cutting dike relationships demonstrate that dike intrusion occurred both during and after normal fault- related tilting. These data indicate that fault-controlled tilting was initiated within the narrow neovolcanic zone of the ridge and is not associated with off-axis processes. Lavas at magmatically robust ridges commonly flow away from elevated ridge-crests. Measurement of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of the lavas from the flexure in Iceland suggests a mean flow direction to the northeast, that is, away from the fossil-ridge axis, demonstrating that the fossil spreading center from which the lavas were extruded was located to the west. Despite the distinct differences in spreading rates, the high magma supply in both environments resulted in a very similar upper crustal architecture.

Insights Into Magma Ascent During Shallow-Level Crustal Shortening From Magnetic Fabrics of the Philipsburg Batholith, SW Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naibert, T. J.; Geissman, J. W.

2007-12-01

Latest Cretaceous development of the Sevier fold and thrust belt in SW Montana overlapped spatially with silicic magmatism. In the fold thrust belt, large volumes of magma were emplaced well east of the main magmatic arc, now exposed as the Idaho Batholith. Hypothesized mechanisms for emplacement of magma within the overthrust belt often involve magma ascent along shallow, west-dipping faults. The ~ 74 Ma (K-Ar method) Philipsburg Batholith is a 122 km2 tabular granodiorite emplaced into deformed Precambrian Belt Supergroup through Cretaceous strata. The Philipsburg Batholith lies in the upper plate of the Georgetown- Princeton Thrust, NW of Anaconda, Montana and cross-cuts two other previously mapped faults. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements of 122 sites from the Philipsburg Batholith define magnetic foliations and/or lineations to test magma ascent along the Georgetown-Princeton Thrust. AMS fabrics in the Philipsburg Batholith, dominantly defined by magnetite, are generally oblate or triaxial and are typically very consistent at the site level. Preliminary fabric data show subhorizontal foliations across most of the batholith, with steeply dipping foliations near the margins and a minor increase in foliation dip near the inferred fault trace. The hypothesis of magma ascent along fault surfaces will be supported if further data confirm the concentration of relatively steep foliation orientations across the trace of the Georgetown-Princeton thrust.

Physical controls and depth of emplacement of igneous bodies: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menand, Thierry

2011-03-01

The formation and growth of magma bodies are now recognised as involving the amalgamation of successive, discrete pulses such as sills. Sills would thus represent the building blocks of larger plutons ( sensu lato). Mechanical and thermal considerations on the incremental development of these plutons raise the issue of the crustal levels at which magma can stall and accumulate as sills. Reviewing the mechanisms that could a priori explain sill formation, it is shown that principal physical controls include: rigidity contrast, where sills form at the interface between soft strata overlaid by comparatively stiffer strata; rheology anisotropy, where sills form within the weakest ductile zones; and rotation of deviatoric stress, where sills form when the minimum compressive stress becomes vertical. Comparatively, the concept of neutral buoyancy is unlikely to play a leading control in the emplacement of sills, although it could assist their formation. These different controls on sill formation, however, do not necessarily operate on the same length scale. The length scale associated with the presence of interfaces separating upper stiffer layers from lower softer ones determines the depth at which rigidity-controlled sills will form. On another hand, the emplacement depths for rheology-controlled sills are likely to be determined by the distribution of the weakest ductile zones. Whereas the emplacement depth of stress-controlled sills is determined by a balance between the horizontal maximum compressive stress, which favours sill formation, and the buoyancy of their feeder dykes, which drives magma vertically. Ultimately, the depth at which a sill forms depends on whether crustal anisotropy or stress rotation is the dominant control, i.e. which of these processes operates at the smallest length scale. Using dimensional analysis, it is shown that sill formation controlled by remote stress rotation would occur on length scales of hundreds of meters or greater. This therefore suggests that crustal heterogeneities and their associated anisotropy are likely to play a larger role than remote stress rotation in controlling sill emplacement, unless these heterogeneities are several hundred meters or more apart. This also reinforces the role of local stress barriers, owing to interactions between deviatoric stress and crustal heterogeneities, in the formation of sills.

Rapid pre-eruptive thermal rejuvenation in a large silicic magma body: the case of the Masonic Park Tuff, Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field, CO, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sliwinski, J. T.; Bachmann, O.; Dungan, M. A.; Huber, C.; Deering, C. D.; Lipman, P. W.; Martin, L. H. J.; Liebske, C.

2017-05-01

Determining the mechanisms involved in generating large-volume eruptions (>100 km3) of silicic magma with crystallinities approaching rheological lock-up ( 50 vol% crystals) remains a challenge for volcanologists. The Cenozoic Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field, in Colorado and northernmost New Mexico, USA, produced ten such crystal-rich ignimbrites within 3 m.y. This work focuses on the 28.7 Ma Masonic Park Tuff, a dacitic ( 62-65 wt% SiO2) ignimbrite with an estimated erupted volume of 500 km3 and an average of 45 vol% crystals. Near-absence of quartz, titanite, and sanidine, pronounced An-rich spikes near the rims of plagioclase, and reverse zoning in clinopyroxene record the reheating (from 750 to >800 °C) of an upper crustal mush in response to hotter recharge from below. Zircon U-Pb ages suggest prolonged magmatic residence, while Yb/Dy vs temperature trends indicate co-crystallization with titanite which was later resorbed. High Sr, Ba, and Ti concentrations in plagioclase microlites and phenocryst rims require in-situ feldspar melting and concurrent, but limited, mass addition provided by the recharge, likely in the form of a melt-gas mixture. The larger Fish Canyon Tuff, which erupted from the same location 0.7 m.y. later, also underwent pre-eruptive reheating and partial melting of quartz, titanite, and feldspars in a long-lived upper crustal mush following the underplating of hotter magma. The Fish Canyon Tuff, however, records cooler pre-eruptive temperatures ( 710-760 °C) and a mineral assemblage indicative of higher magmatic water contents (abundant resorbed sanidine and quartz, euhedral amphibole and titanite, and absence of pyroxene). These similar pre-eruptive mush-reactivation histories, despite differing mineral assemblages and pre-eruptive temperatures, indicate that thermal rejuvenation is a key step in the eruption of crystal-rich silicic volcanics over a wide range of conditions.

CCP Receiver-Function Imaging of the Moho beneath Volcanic Fields in Western Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanchette, A. R.; Mooney, W. D.; Klemperer, S. L.; Zahran, H. M.; El-Hadidy, S. Y.

2015-12-01

We are searching for structural complexity in the crust and upper mantle beneath the Neogene volcanic fields ('harrats') of western Saudi Arabia. We determined P-wave seismic receiver functions for 50 broadband seismographic stations located within or adjacent to three volcanic fields: Harrats Lunayyir, Rahat, and Khaybar. There are 18 seismographic stations within Lunayyir, 11 in Khaybar, and 15 in Rahat with average interstation spacing of 10 km, 30km, and 50 km. For each station we calculated 300 to 600 receiver functions with an iterative time-domain deconvolution; noisy receiver functions (outliers) were rejected by cross correlating each receiver function with a station stack; we only accepted those with a cross correlation coefficient ≥ 0.6. We used these receiver functions to create a common-conversion point (CCP) image of the crust and upper mantle. The Moho and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) are clearly imaged, particularly beneath Lunayyir, and have average depths of about 38 km and 60 km. We do not find any evidence for structural disruption of the Moho within our ~70 km x 70 km image of the Moho beneath Lunayyir. We image a clear crust-mantle boundary beneath Rahat and Khaybar also at ~38 km, 2-3 km deeper than anticipated from prior receiver function results outside of the harrats. Mid-crustal low velocity zones seen locally beneath all three harrats, most commonly at 10-15 km or 15-20 km in depth, may more likely represent silicic Precambrian basement than accumulations of magma. Estimates of up to ~0.5 km3 of magma erupted during each eruptive episode are consistent with the lack of a disrupted Moho. However, the total erupted volume of magma, e.g. > 1000 km3 at Rahat, together with associated intrusions from the mantle, is consistent with crustal thickening of ~2 km beneath the harrats.

Insights into the emplacement of upper-crustal plutons and their relationship to large silicic calderas, from field relationships, geochronology, and zircon trace element geochemistry in the Stillwater – Clan Alpine caldera complex, western Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colgan, Joseph P.; John, David A.; Henry, Christopher D.; Watts, Kathryn E.

2018-01-01

Geologic mapping, new U-Pb zircon ages, and new and published 40Ar/39Ar sanidine ages document the timing and extent of Oligocene magmatism in the southern Stillwater Range and Clan Alpine Mountains of western Nevada, where Miocene extension has exposed at least six nested silicic calderas and underlying granitic plutons to crustal depths locally ≥ 9 km. Both caldera-forming rhyolitic tuffs and underlying plutons were emplaced in two episodes, one from about 30.4–28.2 Ma that included the Deep Canyon, Job Canyon, and Campbell Creek calderas and underlying plutons, and one from about 25.3–24.8 Ma that included the Louderback Mountains, Poco Canyon, and Elevenmile Canyon calderas and underlying plutons. In these two 1–2 m.y. periods, almost the entire Mesozoic upper crust was replaced by Oligocene intrusive and extrusive rocks to depths ≥ 9 km over an estimated total area of ~ 1500 km2 (pre-extension). Zircon trace element geochemistry indicates that some plutonic rock can be solidified residual magma from the tuff eruptions. Most plutons are not solidified residual magma, although they directly underlie calderas and were emplaced along the same structures shortly after to as much as one million years after caldera formation. Magma chambers and plutons grew by floor subsidence accommodated by downward transfer of country rocks. If other Great Basin calderas are similar, the dense concentration of shallowly exposed calderas in central Nevada is underlain by a complexly zoned mid-Cenozoic batholith assembled in discrete pulses that coincided with formation of large silicic calderas up to 2500–5000 km3.

Crustal Thickness on the South East Indian Ridge from OBH data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolstoy, M.; Cochran, J. R.; Carbotte, S. M.; Floyd, J. S.

2002-12-01

Seismic reflection and refraction data were collected on the intermediate-rate spreading South East Indian Ridge during December 2001 and January 2002 aboard the RV Ewing. A total of six lines of Ocean Bottom Hydrophone (OBH) refraction data were collected along four segments with contrasting ridge axis morphology. All lines were shot ridge parallel, with four lines on-axis, and two lines approximately 20 km off-axis. Each line used four OBHs and the line lengths varied between 102 km and 124 km, depending on the length of each ridge segment. For the two western most segments, an axial magma chamber is observed with crustal arrivals disappearing or being significantly delayed in the 15-20 km range. This indicates a magma chamber deeper than those observed on the faster spreading East Pacific Rise. Off-axis in this area clear crustal arrivals are seen out to 40-50 km. This indicates relatively thick crust in this most inflated of the sections studied, consistent with a higher magma supply. The two eastern most segments have on-axis lines only, and both of these indicate relatively thin crust. This is consistent with the more magma starved character of the bathymetry in these areas. Data will be presented, along with preliminary crustal velocity and thickness models.

Magnesium Isotopes as a Tracer of Crustal Materials in Volcanic Arc Magmas in the Northern Cascade Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brewer, Aaron W.; Teng, Fang-Zhen; Mullen, Emily

2018-03-01

Fifteen North Cascade Arc basalts and andesites were analyzed for Mg isotopes to investigate the extent and manner of crustal contributions to this magmatic system. The δ26Mg of these samples vary from within the range of ocean island basalts (the lightest being -0.33 ± 0.07‰) to heavier compositions (as heavy as -0.15 ± 0.06‰). The observed range in chemical and isotopic composition is similar to that of other volcanic arcs that have been assessed to date in the circum-pacific subduction zones and in the Caribbean. The heavy Mg isotope compositions are best explained by assimilation and fractional crystallization within the deep continental crust with a possible minor contribution from the addition of subducting slab-derived fluids to the primitive magma. The bulk mixing of sediment into the primitive magma or mantle source and the partial melting of garnet-rich peridotite are unlikely to have produced the observed range of Mg isotope compositions. The results show that Mg isotopes may be a useful tracer of crustal input into a magma, supplementing traditional methods such as radiogenic isotopic and trace element data, particularly in cases in which a high fraction of crustal material has been added.

Geochemical Evolution of Pre-caldera Magmas at Caviahue Caldera, Neuquen Province, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, E.; Ort, M.

2004-12-01

Caldera subsidence and glacial erosion at Caviahue, an upper Miocene to Pliocene volcanic center located in the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) at 37°50'S, has exposed a detailed cross-section of pre-caldera volcanic activity from the upper Miocene to the Pliocene. Caldera walls expose 500 to 800 m of ignimbrites, cinder cones, volcanic breccias, and lava flows, which range from 1 to nearly 100 m in thickness. Lavas erupted from the monogenetic pre-caldera volcanic field have compositions ranging from evolved basaltic andesites (4% MgO, 10% FeO) to trachytes. Strong Ni-depletion signatures and high Fe/Mg ratios indicate extensive geochemical modification of Caviahue lavas. Petrologic and geochemical analyses of major and trace element abundances in Caviahue lavas indicate cyclic fractionation and recharge in an upper-crustal magma chamber during pre-caldera volcanism. Compatible and incompatible element abundances (especially Ni, MgO, K, and Zr), plotted in stratigraphic succession, show at least six distinct fractionation trends occurred between emplacement of the oldest exposed lava flows and the eruption of the ignimbrite associated with caldera formation. Each fractionation trend is punctuated by the infusion of a volume of new, more primitive magma. Modeling of recharge events indicates that these introduced from less than half to several times the volume of the existing magma body of new, more primitive (but still evolved) magma to the chamber. Geochemical analyses of lavas deposited between intermittent periods of magma residence and volcanic eruptions show strong patterns of plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene, and oxide fractionation. Deposits recognized on the caldera floor thought to be associated with caldera collapse are correlated with extra-caldera trachytic ignimbrite deposits dated at 2.02 Ma, providing a late Pliocene age for caldera collapse. Post-caldera volcanism has been active until present, but has shifted to smaller polygenetic volcanic centers on the periphery of the Caviahue Caldera with the majority of volcanic activity at the historically active Volcán Copahue, located on the western rim of the caldera.

Drilling constraints on bimodal volcanism and subsequent formation of contrasted uppermost crustal compositions at the middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamasaki, T.; Takaya, Y.; Mukae, N.; Nagase, T.; Tindell, T.; Totsuka, S.; Uno, Y.; Yonezu, K.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.; Shipboard Scientist, C.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa Trough (OT) is a young and actively spreading back-arc basin, extending behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system in the southeastern margin of the East China Sea. The OT is believed to be in an initial rifting stage (starting from 6-9 Ma), prior to the normal/stable seafloor spreading which constitutes the main stage of back-arc basin formation. Two drilling cruises ‒ the IODP Exp. 331 and SIP CK14-04 D/V Chikyu Cruise (Exp. 907) in 2010 and 2014 ‒ were conducted at the Iheya North Knoll, middle OT. The Iheya North Knoll is a domal volcanic complex consisting of small volcanic bodies. On these cruises, pumiceous gravel and altered rhyolitic rocks, as well as hemi-pelagic sediments, hydrothermal clay and Kuroko-type ores, were recovered from the upper 200 m of the crust. From Feb. 11, 2016 to Mar. 17, 2016, the SIP CK16-01 (Exp. 908) D/V Chikyu cruise was conducted at Iheya North Knoll and the sediment-covered rifting center of the Iheya-Minor Ridge area, middle OT. The Iheya-Minor ridge area is also an active hydrothermal field, located 25 km southeast of the Iheya North Knoll. In this area, basaltic rocks are widely distributed, and drilling has confirmed that the basaltic materials continue to 120 m below the seafloor. From an igneous petrological point of view, the volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough are characterized by bimodal basaltic and rhyolitic compositions, with a compositional gap between SiO2 = 56-66 wt%. The origin of the rhyolitic rock has been interpreted as magmatic differentiation of basaltic magma. However, the existence of an active basalt-hosted hydrothermal field in the Iheya-Minor ridge area suggests the presence of hot basaltic rocks at a shallow position in the crust, and reaching recharged seawater at this depth. Furthermore, the composition of felsic rocks just after the compositional gap (SiO2 = 67 wt%) is very similar to that of the minimum melt of a granitic system, and experimental partial melt of hydrous basalt. Therefore, the contrast in the uppermost crustal composition between very close ( 25 km) areas can reasonably be explained by re-melting of hydrothermally-altered basaltic rocks and production of felsic magma at the upper crustal level, and direct eruption of basaltic magma at the seafloor.

Crustal Deformation In the Northwestern Margin of the South China Sea: Results From Wide-angle Seismic Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, H.; Klingelhoefer, F.

2017-12-01

The South China Sea (SCS) has undergone episodic spreading during the Cenozoic Era. The long-term extension has shaped the continental margins of the SCS, leading to a progressive breakup of the lithosphere. Separated blocks and rift troughs, as controlled by tectonic stretching, contains key information about the deforming mechanism of the crust. In this work, we present a P-wave velocity model of a wide-angle seismic profile OBS2013-1 which passes through the NW margin of the SCS. Modeling of 25 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) data revealed a detailed crustal structure and shallow complexities along the profile (Figure 1). The crust thins symmetrically across the Xisha Trough, from more than 20 km on flanks to 10 km in the central valley where the sediments thickens over 5 km; A volcano is situated on top of the centre basement high where the Moho drops slightly. At the distal margin around the Zhongsha Trough, the upper crust was detached and accordingly made the middle crust exhumed in a narrow area ( 20 km wide). Meanwhile, materials from the lower crust rises asymmetrically, increasing the crustal velocity by 0.3 km/s and may also giving rise to volcanisms along the hanging side. A 40 km wide hyper-stretched crust (with thickness of 5 km) was identified next to the Zhongsha Trough and covered by overflowing magma and post-rift sediments on the top. These observations argue for a depth-related and asymmetrically extension of the crust, including (1) detachment fault controls the deformation of the upper crust, leading to exhumation of the middle crust and asymmetrically rising of the lower crust, (2) The region adjacent to the exhumation region and with highly thinned crust can be considered as extinct OCT due to magma-starved supplying.

Thermal and petrologic constraints on lower crustal melt accumulation under the Salton Sea Geothermal Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakas, Ozge; Dufek, Josef; Mangan, Margaret T.; Wright, Heather M.; Bachmann, Olivier

2017-06-01

In the Salton Sea region of southern California (USA), concurrent magmatism, extension, subsidence, and sedimentation over the past 0.5 to 1.0 Ma have led to the creation of the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF)-the second largest and hottest geothermal system in the continental United States-and the small-volume rhyolite eruptions that created the Salton Buttes. In this study, we determine the flux of mantle-derived basaltic magma that would be required to produce the elevated average heat flow and sustain the magmatic roots of rhyolite volcanism observed at the surface of the Salton Sea region. We use a 2D thermal model to show that a lower-crustal, partially molten mush containing < 20- 40% interstitial melt develops over a ∼105-yr timescale for basalt fluxes of 0.008 to 0.010 m3 /m2 /yr (∼0.0008 to ∼0.001 km3/yr injection rate) given extension rates at or below the current value of ∼0.01 m/yr (Brothers et al., 2009). These regions of partial melt are a natural consequence of a thermal regime that scales with average surface heat flow in the Salton Trough, and are consistent with seismic observations. Our results indicate limited melting and assimilation of pre-existing rocks in the lower crust. Instead, we find that basalt fractionation in the lower crust produces derivative melts of andesitic to dacitic composition. Such melts are then expected to ascend and accumulate in the upper crust, where they further evolve to give rise to small-volume rhyolite eruptions (Salton Buttes) and fuel local spikes in surface heat flux as currently seen in the SSGF. Such upper crustal magma evolution, with limited assimilation of hydrothermally altered material, is required to explain the slight decrease in δ18 O values of zircons (and melts) that have been measured in these rhyolites.

Assimilation by lunar mare basalts: Melting of crustal material and dissolution of anorthite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finnila, A. B.; Hess, P. C.; Rutherford, M. J.

1994-07-01

We discuss techniques for calculating the amount of crustal assimilation possible in lunar magma chambers and dikes based on thermal energy balances, kinetic rates, and simple fluid mechanical constraints. Assuming parent magmas of picritic compositions, we demonstrate the limits on the capacity of such magmas to melt and dissolve wall rock of anorthitic, troctolitic, noritic, and KREEP (quartz monzodiorite) compositions. Significant melting of the plagioclase-rich crustal lithologies requires turbulent convection in the assimilating magma and an efficient method of mixing in the relatively buoyant and viscous new melt. Even when this occurs, the major element chemistry of the picritic magmas will change by less than 1-2 wt %. Diffusion coefficients measured for Al2O3 from an iron-free basalt and an orange glass composition are 10-12 sq m/s at 1340 C and 10-11 sq m/s at 1390 C. These rates are too slow to allow dissolution of plagioclase to significantly affect magma compositions. Picritic magmas can melt significant quantities of KREEP, which suggests that their trace element chemistry may still be affected by assimilation processes; however, mixing viscous melts of KREEP composition with the fluid picritic magmas could be prohibitively difficult. We conclude that only a small part of the total major element chemical variation in the mare basalt and volcanic glass collection is due to assimilation/fractional crystallization processes near the lunar surface. Instead, most of the chemical variation in the lunar basalts and volcanic glasses must result from assimilation at deeper levels or from having distinct source regions in a heterogeneous lunar mantle.

Assimilation by lunar mare basalts: Melting of crustal material and dissolution of anorthite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finnila, A. B.; Hess, P. C.; Rutherford, M. J.

1994-01-01

We discuss techniques for calculating the amount of crustal assimilation possible in lunar magma chambers and dikes based on thermal energy balances, kinetic rates, and simple fluid mechanical constraints. Assuming parent magmas of picritic compositions, we demonstrate the limits on the capacity of such magmas to melt and dissolve wall rock of anorthitic, troctolitic, noritic, and KREEP (quartz monzodiorite) compositions. Significant melting of the plagioclase-rich crustal lithologies requires turbulent convection in the assimilating magma and an efficient method of mixing in the relatively buoyant and viscous new melt. Even when this occurs, the major element chemistry of the picritic magmas will change by less than 1-2 wt %. Diffusion coefficients measured for Al2O3 from an iron-free basalt and an orange glass composition are 10(exp -12) sq m/s at 1340 C and 10(exp -11) sq m/s at 1390 C. These rates are too slow to allow dissolution of plagioclase to significantly affect magma compositions. Picritic magmas can melt significant quantities of KREEP, which suggests that their trace element chemistry may still be affected by assimilation processes; however, mixing viscous melts of KREEP composition with the fluid picritic magmas could be prohibitively difficult. We conclude that only a small part of the total major element chemical variation in the mare basalt and volcanic glass collection is due to assimilation/fractional crystallization processes near the lunar surface. Instead, most of the chemical variation in the lunar basalts and volcanic glasses must result from assimilation at deeper levels or from having distinct source regions in a heterogeneous lunar mantle.

Igneous Cooling Rate constraints on the Accretion of the lower Oceanic Crust in Mid-ocean Ridges: Insights from a new Thermo-mechanical Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrido, C. J.; Machetel, P.

2005-12-01

We report the results of a new thermo-mechanical model of crustal flow beneath fast spreading mid-ocean ridges to investigate both the effect of deep, near off-axis hydrothermal convection on the thermal structure of the magma chamber and the role of variable number of melt intrusions on the accretion of the oceanic crust. In our model the melt is injected at the center of the axial magma chamber with a 'needle' with adjustable porosity at different depths allowing the simulation of different arrangements of melt injection and supply within the magma chamber. Conversely to previous models, the shape of the magma chamber -defined as the isotherm where 95% solidification of the melt occurs- is not imposed but computed from the steady state reached by the thermal field considering the heat diffusion and advection and the latent heat of crystallization. The motion equation is solved for a temperature and phase dependent viscosity. The thermal diffusivity is also dependent on temperature and depth, with a higher diffusivity in the upper plutonic crust to account for more efficient hydrothermal cooling at these crustal levels. In agreement with previous non-dynamic thermal models, our results show that near, deep off-axis hydrothermal circulation strongly affects the shape of the axial magma by tightening isotherms in the upper half of the plutonic oceanic crust where hydrothermal cooling is more efficient. Different accretion modes have however little effect on the shape of the magma chamber, but result in variable arrangements of flow lines ranging from tent-shape in a single-lens accretion scenario to sub-horizontal in "sheeted-sill" intrusion models. For different intrusion models, we computed the average Igneous Cooling Rates (ICR) of gabbros by dividing the crystallization temperature interval of gabbros by the integrated time, from the initial intrusion to the point where it crossed the 950 °C isotherm where total solidification of gabbro occurs, along individual flow lines. The distribution of ICR of gabbros along each flow line is then computed at their final off-axis emplacement as it is now observed in ophiolites. The main result of our model is that the variation of ICR with depth strongly constrains the accretion mode of the oceanic crust. The bimodal distribution of ICR with depth inferred from the crystal size distribution studies of gabbros from the Oman ophiolite (Garrido et al., 2001) can be only reproduced by accretion models with at least two melt lenses. The location of the jump in the bimodal distribution of ICR with depth observed at ca. 4 km above the MTZ in the Oman ophiolite implies that ca. 50% of the oceanic crust is accreted in an upper magma lens, while the 50% lower half is either accreted in one lens located at the MTZ or in several melt lenses with alike melt supply and evenly distributed along the lower half of the plutonic oceanic crust. Garrido, C. J., Kelemen, P. B. & Hirth, G.. G-cubed. 2, doi: 10.1029/2000GC000136 (2001).

Time-dependent changes in magmatic and hydrothermal activity at the Costa Rica Rift recorded by variations in oceanic crustal structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, D. J.; Peirce, C.; Hobbs, R. W.; Gregory, E. P. M.; Zhang, L.

2016-12-01

Geophysical studies of crustal structure at a diverse range of ridges have provided evidence that the balance between spreading rate and magma supply determines whether spreading predominantly occurs by magmatic accretion of new oceanic crust or through tectonic stretching of the whole lithosphere. Asymmetric spreading, patterns of on- and off-axis volcanism, the evolution of oceanic core complexes and the distribution of hydrothermal systems all indicate that the process of spreading is not constant over geologically short timescales. The structure of the resulting crust reflects this complexity in origin. Studies along flow-lines across ridges spreading at intermediate rates suggest variations in topographic style and crustal structure have periodically occurred, controlled by the interplay between magmatic accretion and tectonic stretching, and coupled to the degree of hydrothermal activity. Seismic reflection images and tomographic models derived from wide-angle seismic data have enabled a detailed examination of the oceanic crust that formed at the fast-to-intermediate-spreading (36 mm yr-1) Costa Rica Rift over the last 6 Ma, to look for any temporal variation in basement topography, upper crust (layer 2) P-wave velocity/density structure and crustal thickness. Coincident marine gravity and magnetic data not only allow us to test the validity of the final velocity-density model but also review variability in half-spreading rate, respectively. Collectively our analyses allow us to investigate the timescale and cyclicity of crustal structure variations and, having determined the spreading rate over time, consider how this may reflect changes in magma supply and/or hydrothermal activity at the Costa Rica Rift, using borehole 504B as the ground-truth. This research is part of a major, interdisciplinary NERC-funded collaboration entitled: Oceanographic and Seismic Characterisation of heat dissipation and alteration by hydrothermal fluids at an Axial Ridge (OSCAR).

Geochemical and petrological indicators of volcanic behavior: Merapi volcano, Java, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troll, V. R.; Deegan, F. M.; Jolis, E. M.; Chadwick, J.; Blythe, L. S.; Freda, C.; Hilton, D. R.; Schwarzkopf, L. M.; Gertisser, R.; Zimmer, M.

2011-12-01

Gunung Merapi, one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, is characterized by long periods of dome growth and intermittent explosive pyroclastic events. Merapi currently degasses continuously through high-T fumaroles (>200°C), and erupts crystal-rich basaltic-andesite that contains a large range of igneous and calc-silicate crustal inclusions. To evaluate mechanisms that trigger explosive eruptions, we sampled lavas, inclusions (xenoliths), and gas from active fumaroles. Additionally, we established a time-integrated experiment reaction series mimicking crustal assimilation at Merapi under magmatic conditions. Merapi lava contains abundant plagioclase crystals which show complex zoning and vary in anorthite (An) content between 40 and 95 mol% across resorption surfaces. A negative correlation between An mol% and other indicators of magmatic fractionation, such as MgO and FeO, has been observed. Moreover, Sr isotope analyses of discrete zones in plagioclase yields 87Sr/86Sr values that notably exceed those of the host lavas. Zones with the highest An content also tend to show the highest radiogenic Sr values, consistent with a Ca-rich, high-87Sr/86Sr crustal contaminant. Abundant metamorphosed limestone xenoliths contain compositionally identical feldspar to the high-An population in the lavas, demonstrating that magma-crust interaction is a significant process at Merapi. Carbon isotope ratios of fumarole CO2 sampled during quiescent degassing periods form a baseline of δ13C2001-2008 = -4.1%. The notable exceptions are the 2006 values, obtained immediately after the eruption and the 6.4 magnitude Yogyakarta earthquake, which show elevated δ13C values up to -2.4%. Notably, the rise in δ13C values coincided with an increase in eruptive intensity and volcano seismicity by a factor of 3 to 5 for several weeks after the earthquake. This is consistent with addition of a late-stage, crustal volatile component added to purely mantle and slab-derived volatile sources. This observation argues for extensive and ongoing magma-crust interaction beneath the volcano, especially during eruptive and/or seismic events. Our high P-T experiments show that interaction between Merapi magma and limestone can rapidly liberate crustal CO2 on a timescale of only seconds to minutes. We therefore expect vigorous CO2 bubble nucleation and growth on a scale of perhaps hours to days in nature. Late volatile input could therefore accelerate or trigger explosive eruptions independently of magmatic recharge and fractionation by sudden over-pressurization of the upper parts of the magma system. Such an event would provide shallow seismic warning signals immediately prior to an erratic, CO2-driven, eruption crisis. Thus we conclude that crust-mantle interaction processes have serious implications for eruptive behavior, volatile emission, and hazard management at Merapi and similar systems elsewhere.

Post-collisional alkaline magmatism as gateway for metal and sulfur enrichment of the continental lower crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorentini, Marco L.; LaFlamme, Crystal; Denyszyn, Steven; Mole, David; Maas, Roland; Locmelis, Marek; Caruso, Stefano; Bui, Thi-Hao

2018-02-01

Mafic and ultramafic magmas that intrude into the lower crust can preserve evidence for metal and sulfur transfer from the lithospheric mantle into the lower continental crust. Here we focus on a series of ultramafic, alkaline pipes in the Ivrea Zone (NW Italy), which exposes deeply buried (6-11 kbar), migmatitic metasedimentary rocks intruded by voluminous basaltic magmas of the Mafic Complex, a major crustal underplating event precisely dated via U/Pb CA-IDTIMS on zircon at 286.8 ± 0.4 Ma. The ultramafic pipes postdate the Mafic Complex and from 100 to 300 m wide cumulate-rich conduits. They are hydrated and carbonated, have unusually high incompatible element concentrations and contain blebby and semi-massive Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide mineralisation. The sulfides occur as coarse intergranular nodules (>10 mm) and as small intragranular blebs (<1 mm) hosted in olivine, and have homogeneous, mantle-like δ34S (+1.35 ± 0.25‰). This homogeneity suggests that the pipes reached sulfide supersaturation without addition of crustal sulfur, and that the δ34S signature is representative of the continental lithospheric mantle. One of the pipes, the 249 Ma Valmaggia pipe, carries a very distinctive Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotopic composition in its core (87Sr/86Sr 0.70250, εNd-18, εHf-18, 206Pb/204Pb 16.0, 207Pb/204Pb 15.16, 208Pb/204Pb 35.87), very different from the margin of this pipe and from other pipes that have higher 87Sr/86Sr, εNd and 206Pb/204Pb. The unusual isotopic composition of the Valmaggia pipe requires a source with long-term (2500-1500 million years) U-, Th- and Rb-depletion and LREE enrichment. Such compositions are found in Late Archean/Early Proterozoic granulites and lower crustal xenoliths. We suggest that the unusual isotopic composition of the Valmaggia pipe reflects contamination of the mantle source of the pipe with a crustal component that is neither represented in the local Paleozoic crust nor in the isotopically anomalous hydrated mantle inferred as the source of the large-volume mafic underplate that formed the Mafic Complex. During post-collisional gravitational collapse of the Variscan Orogen, this source produced the alkaline, metal (Ni, Cu, PGE)- and volatile (H2O, CO2, S)-rich mafic-ultramafic magma that formed the deep-crustal intrusion at Valmaggia. U/Pb dating of other chemically and geologically comparable pipes in the area shows that this process was active over at least 40 Ma. The Ivrea pipes illustrate how the lower continental crust can be fertilised with mantle-derived metals and volatiles, which are available for later remobilisation into upper-crustal ore systems. World-class mineral deposits along the margins of lithospheric blocks may thus be the result of both favourable crustal architecture (focussing of magmas and fluids) and localised volatile and metal enrichment of the lower crust related to mantle-derived hydrous metasomatism.

Magma-assisted strain localization in an orogen-parallel transcurrent shear zone of southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tommasi, AndréA.; Vauchez, Alain; Femandes, Luis A. D.; Porcher, Carla C.

1994-04-01

In a lithospheric-scale, orogen-parallel transcurrent shear zone of the Pan-African Dom Feliciano belt of southern Brazil, two successive generations of magmas, an early calc-alkaline and a late peraluminous, have been emplaced during deformation. Microstructures show that these granitoids experienced a progressive deformation from magmatic to solid state under decreasing temperature conditions. Magmatic deformation is indicated by the coexistence of aligned K-feldspar, plagioclase, micas, and/or tourmaline with undeformed quartz. Submagmatic deformation is characterized by strain features, such as fractures, lattice bending, or replacement reactions affecting only the early crystallized phases. High-temperature solid-state deformation is characterized by extensive grain boundary migration in quartz, myrmekitic K-feldspar replacement, and dynamic recrystallization of both K-feldspar and plagioclase. Decreasing temperature during solid-state deformation is inferred from changes in quartz crystallographic fabrics, decrease in grain size of recrystallized feldspars, and lower Ti amount in recrystallized biotites. Final low-temperature deformation is characterized by feldspar replacement by micas. The geochemical evolution of the synkinematic magmatism, from calc-alkaline metaluminous granodiorites with intermediate 87Sr/86Sr initial ratio to peraluminous granites with very high 87Sr/86Sr initial ratio, suggests an early lower crustal source or a mixed mantle/crustal source, followed by a middle to upper crustal source for the melts. Shearing in lithospheric faults may induce partial melting in the lower crust by shear heating in the upper mantle, but, whatever the process initiating partial melting, lithospheric transcurrent shear zones may collect melt at different depths. Because they enhance the vertical permeability of the crust, these zones may then act as heat conductors (by advection), promoting an upward propagation of partial melting in the crust. Synkinematic granitoids localize most, if not all, deformation in the studied shear zone. The regional continuity and the pervasive character of the magmatic fabric in the various synkinematic granitic bodies, consistently displaying similar plane and direction of flow, argue for accommodation of large amounts of orogen-parallel movement by viscous deformation of these magmas. Moreover, activation of high-temperature deformation mechanisms probably allowed a much easier deformation of the hot synkinematic granites than of the colder country rock and, consequently, contributed significantly to the localization of deformation. Finally, the small extent of the low-temperature deformation suggests that the strike-slip deformation ended approximately synchronously with the final cooling of the peraluminous granites. The evolution of the deformation reflects the strong influence of synkinematic magma emplacement and subsequent cooling on the thermomechanical evolution of the shear zone. Magma intrusion in an orogen-scale transcurrent shear zone deeply modifies the rheological behavior of the continental crust. It triggers an efficient thermomechanical softening localized within the fault that may subsist long enough for large displacements to be accommodated. Therefore the close association of deformation and synkinematic magmatism probably represents an important factor controlling the mechanical response of continental plates in collisional environments.

On the conditions of magma mixing and its bearing on andesite production in the crust.

PubMed

Laumonier, Mickael; Scaillet, Bruno; Pichavant, Michel; Champallier, Rémi; Andujar, Joan; Arbaret, Laurent

2014-12-15

Mixing between magmas is thought to affect a variety of processes, from the growth of continental crust to the triggering of volcanic eruptions, but its thermophysical viability remains unclear. Here, by using high-pressure mixing experiments and thermal calculations, we show that hybridization during single-intrusive events requires injection of high proportions of the replenishing magma during short periods, producing magmas with 55-58 wt% SiO2 when the mafic end-member is basaltic. High strain rates and gas-rich conditions may produce more felsic hybrids. The incremental growth of crustal reservoirs limits the production of hybrids to the waning stage of pluton assembly and to small portions of it. Large-scale mixing appears to be more efficient at lower crustal conditions, but requires higher proportions of mafic melt, producing more mafic hybrids than in shallow reservoirs. Altogether, our results show that hybrid arc magmas correspond to periods of enhanced magma production at depth.

Geochemical and Isotopic Data from Micron to Across-Arc Scales in the Andean Central Volcanic Zone: Applications for Resolving Crustal Magmatic Differentiation and Modification Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelfelder, G.; Wilder, A.; Feeley, T.

2014-12-01

Plagioclase crystals from silicic (andesitic to dacitic) lavas and domes at Volcán Uturuncu, a potentially active volcano in the back-arc of the Andean CVZ (22.3°S, 67.2°W), exhibit large variations in An contents, textures, and core to rim 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Many of the isotopic variations can not have existed at magmatic temperatures for more than a few thousand years. The crystals likely derived from different locations in the crustal magmatic system and mixed just prior to eruption. Uturuncu magmas initially assimilated crustal rocks with high 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The magmas were subsequently modified by frequent recharge of more mafic magmas with lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios. A typical Uturuncu silicic magma therefore only attains its final composition just prior to or during eruption. In the Lazufre region of active surface uplift (~25˚14'S; Volcán Lastarria and Cordon del Azufre) closed system differentiation processes are not the only factors influencing silicic magma compositions. 87Sr/86Sr (0.70651-0.70715) and 206Pb/204Pb ratios (18.83-18.88) are highly elevated and143Nd/144Nd ratios (0.512364 -0.512493) are low relative to similar composition rocks from the "southern Cordillera domain." These data, along with major and trace element trends, reflect a multitude of differentiation processes and magma sources including crystallization-differentiation of more mafic magmas, melting and assimilation of older crustal rocks, and magma mixing and mingling. On an arc-wide scale silicic lavas erupted from three well-characterized composite volcanoes between 21oS and 22oS (Aucanquilcha, Ollagüe, and Uturuncu) display systematically higher K2O, LILE, REE and HFSE contents and 87Sr/86Sr ratios with increasing distance from the arc-front. In contrast, the lavas have systematically lower Na2O, Sr, and Ba contents; LILE/HFSE ratios; 143Nd/144Nd ratios; and more negative Eu anomalies. Silicic magmas along the arc-front apparently reflect melting of relatively young, mafic composition amphibolitic source rocks with the continental crust becoming increasingly older with a more felsic bulk composition toward the east. We suggest this results from progressively smaller degrees of mantle partial melting, primary melt generation, and crustal hybridization with distance from the arc-front.

Origin and Evolution of the Moon: Apollo 2000 Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, H. H.

1999-01-01

A descriptive formulation of the stages of lunar evolution as an augmentation of the traditional time-stratigraphic approach [21 enables broadened multidisciplinary discussions of issues related to the Moon and planets. An update of this descriptive formulation [3], integrating Apollo and subsequently acquired data, provides additional perspectives on many of the outstanding issues in lunar science. (Stage 1): Beginning (Pre-Nectarian) - 4.57 Ga; (Stage 2): Magma Ocean (Pre-Nectarian) - 4.57-4.2(?) Ga; (Stage 3:) Cratered Highlands (Pre-Nectarian) - 4.4(?) 4.2(?) Ga (Stage 4:) Large Basins - (Pre-Nectarian - Upper Imbrium) 4.3(?)-3.8 Ga; (Stage 4A:) Old Large Basins and Crustal Strengthening (Pre Nectarian) - 4.3(?)-3.92 Ga; (Stage 4B): Young Large Basins (Nectarian - Lower Imbrium) 3.92-3.80 Ga; (Stage 5): Basaltic Maria (Upper Imbrium) - 4.3(?)- 1.0(?) Ga; (Stage 6): Mature Surface (Copernican and Eratosthenian) - 3.80 Ga to Present. Increasingly strong indications of a largely undifferentiated lower lunar mantle and increasingly constrained initial conditions for models of an Earth-impact origin for the Moon suggest that lunar origin by capture of an independently evolved planet should be investigated more vigorously. Capture appears to better explain the geochemical and geophysical details related to the lower mantle of the Moon and to the distribution of elements and their isotopes. For example, the source of the volatile components of the Apollo 17 orange glass apparently would have lain below the degassed and differentiated magma ocean (3) in a relatively undifferentiated primordial lower mantle. Also, a density reversal from 3.7 gm/cubic cm to approximately 3.3 gm/cubic cm is required at the base of the upper mantle to be consistent with the overall density of the Moon. Finally, Hf/W systematics allow only a very narrow window, if any at all for a giant impact to form the Moon. Continued accretionary impact activity during the crystallization of the magma ocean would result in the "splash intrusion" of residual liquids into the lower crust of the Moon as soon as the crust was coherent enough to resist re-incorporation into the magma ocean. For Mg-suite rocks with crystallization ages greater than about 4.4 Ga, impact-dominated dynamics of crustal formation resulted in the injection of liquids from the magma ocean into the crust. Such a process probably helps to account for the apparent increasingly mafic character of the crust with depth. Creation of a mega-regolith during the cratered highland stage constituted a necessary prerequisite for the later remelting of magma ocean cumulates to produce mare basalt magmas. The increasingly insulating character of the pulverized upper crust would slow the cooling of the residual magma ocean. It also would have allowed the gradual accumulation of radiogenic heat necessary to eventually partially remelt the source regions in the upper mantle that produced the mare basalts and related pyroclastic volcanic eruptions. The reverse wave of heating would proceed downward into the upper mantle from the still molten and significantly radio-isotopic urKREEP residual liquid zone at the base of the crust. The potential effects of a giant, Procellarum basin-forming event ca. 4.3 Ga and of a geographically coincident Imbrium event ca. 3.87 Ga can explain the surface concentration of KREEP-related materials in the Procellarum region of the Moon. Lunar Prospector gamma ray spectrometer data indicate that the Procellarum event excavated only relatively small amounts of material related to KREEP. This strongly suggests that urKREEP magmas had yet to move into the Moon's lower crust. The extensive movement of such liquids across and possibly along the crust-mantle boundary region to beneath Procellarum, however, may well have occurred in response to the regional reduction in lithostactic pressure. The coincidental formation of another large basin, the 1160-km diameter Imbrium basin, near the center of Procellarum resulted in the redistribution of KREEP-related materials roughly radial to the younger basin. This scenario may make unnecessary recent proposals of a chemically asymmetric Moon to account for the surface concentration of KREEP-related material around Imbrium. The timing of the giant, South Pole Aitken Basin-forming event at the end of the cratered highland stage (about 4.2 Ga.) can account for the lack of both extensive KREEP-related material and basaltic maria associated with South Pole Aitken. The absence of an Imbrium-size event in South Pole Aitken would have kept hidden any KREEP-rich crustal province. As would be expected with the removal of most of the insulating upper crust, relatively little mare basalt has erupted in South Pole Aitken, except possibly in its northern portions. After the cratered highlands stage and before the basaltic maria stage, objects from a discrete source region formed about 50 large basins on the Moon over -400 m.y. Four possibilities for sources of the impactors of the large basin stage appear plausible at this time. Of these possibilities, the initial breakup of the original Main Belt planetesimal would appear to be the best present choice as a discrete impactor source. The striking differences between young, mascon basins (about 3.92-3.80 Ga) and old, nonmascon basins (about 4.2-3.92 Ga) indicate that the older, isostaticly compensated basins triggered the regional intrusion, extrusion, and solidification of mobile urKREEP-related magmas prior to the formation of the younger, uncompensated basins. This suggests that the fracturing of the lunar crust by the older basin-forming events permitted urKREEP liquids to migrate into the crust, removing the potential for rapid, post-basin isostatic adjustment by urKREEP magma movement at the crust-mantle boundary. Additional information contained in original.

Magnetic signature of the Sicily Channel volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodolo, E.; Civile, D.; Zanolla, C.; Geletti, R.

2012-03-01

Widespread Late Miocene to Quaternary volcanic activity is know to have occurred in the Sicily Channel continuing up to historical time. New magnetic anomaly data acquired in the Pantelleria Graben, one of the three main tectonic depressions forming the WNW-trending Sicily Channel rift system, integrated with available profiles, are used to identify and map volcanic bodies in this sector of the northern African margin. Some of these manifestations, both outcropping at the sea-floor or buried beneath a variable thickness of Plio-Quaternary sedimentary cover, have been imaged by seismic reflection profiles. Three main positive magnetic anomalies have been found: to the S-E of the Pantelleria Island, the largest emerged caldera of the Sicily Channel, along the eastern margin of the Nameless Bank, and at the north-western termination of the Linosa Graben. Only the anomaly located off the south-eastern coast of the Pantelleria Island, associated with a large outcropping body gradually buried beneath a substantially undisturbed Upper Pliocene-Quaternary sediments, aligns with the trend of the tectonic depression. 2-D geophysical models produced along seismic transects perpendicularly crossing the Pantelleria Graben have allowed to derive its deep crustal structure, and detect the presence of buried magmatic bodies which generate the anomalies. Marginal faults seem to have played a major role in focussing magma emplacement in this sector of the Sicily Channel. The other anomalies represent off-axis volcanic episodes and generally do not show evident magmatic manifestations at the sea-floor. These magnetic maxima seem to follow a NNE-SSW-trending belt extending from Linosa Island to the Nameless Bank, where pre-existing crustal anisotropies may have conditioned magma emplacement both at deep and shallow crustal levels. In general, data analysis has shown that there is a structural control on magma emplacement, with the major magmatic features located in specific locations like boundary faults and transfer zones, in a manner similar to that found along several segments of the East African Rift system.

Rhenium-osmium and samarium-neodymium isotopic systematics of the stillwater complex

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lambert, D.D.; Morgan, J.W.; Walker, R.J.; Shirey, S.B.; Carlson, R.W.; Zientek, M.L.; Koski, M.S.

1989-01-01

Isotopic data for the Stillwater Complex, Montana , which formed about 2700 Ma (million years ago), were obtained to evaluate the role of magma mixing in the formation of strategic platinum-group element (PGE) ore deposits. Neodymium and osmium isotopic data indicate that the intrusion formed from at least two geochemically distinct magmas. Ultramafic affinity (U-type) magmas had initial ??Nd of -0.8 to -3.2 and a chondritic initial 187Os/186Os ratio of ???0.88, whereas anorthositic affinity (A-type) magmas had ??Nd of -0.7 to +1.7 and an initial 187Os/186Os ratio of ???1.13. These data suggest that U-type magmas were derived from a lithospheric mantle source containing recycled crustal materials whereas A-type magmas originated either by crustal contamination of basaltic magmas or by partial melting of basalt in the lower crust. The Nd and Os isotopic data also suggest that Os, and probably the other PGEs in ore horizons such as the J-M Reef, was derived from A-type magmas. The Nd and Os isotopic heterogeneity observed in rocks below the J-M Reef also suggests that A-type magmas were injected into the Stillwater U-type magma chamber at several stages during the development of the Ultramafic series.

The role of hydrothermal fluids in the production of subduction zone magmas: Evidence from siderophile and chalcophile trace elements and boron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noll, P. D.; Newsom, H. E.; Leeman, W. P.; Ryan, J. G.

1996-02-01

In order to evaluate the processes responsible for the enrichments of certain siderophile/ chalcophile trace elements during the production of subduction-related magmas, representative lavas from seven subduction zones have been analyzed for Pb, As, Sb, Sn, W, Mo, Tl, Cu, and Zn by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), radiochemical epithermal neutron activation analysis (RENA), and atomic absorption (AA). The siderophile/chalcophile elements are compared to the highly fluid-mobile element B, the light rare earth elements (LREEs), U, and Th in order to place constraints on their behavior in subduction zones. Boron, As, Sb, and Pb are all enriched in arc lavas and continental crustal rocks more so than expected assuming normal magmatic processes (melting and crystallization). Tin, W, and Mo show little evidence of enrichment. Correlations of Pb/Ce, As/Ce, and Sb/Ce with B/La are statistically significant and have high correlation coefficients (and, more importantly, slopes approaching one) suggesting that Pb, As, and Sb behave similarly to B (i.e., that they are fluid-mobile). In addition, across-arc traverses show that B/La, As/Ce, Pb/Ce, and Sb/Ce ratios decrease dramatically with distance towards the back-arc basin. W/Th, Tl/La, Sn/Sm, and Mo/Ce ratios and Cu and Zn concentrations have much less systematic across-arc variations and correlations with B/La are not as strong (and in some cases, not statistically significant) and the regression lines have much lower slopes. Mixing models between upper mantle, slab-derived fluid, and sediment are consistent with a fluid-derived component in the arcs displaying extra enrichments of B, Pb, As, and Sb. These observations imply efficient mobilization of B, Pb, As, Sb, and possibly Tl into arc magma source regions by hydrothermal fluids derived from metamorphic dehydration reactions within the slab. Tin, W, and Mo show little, if any, evidence of hydrothermal mobilization. Copper appears to be slightly enriched in arc lavas relative to mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) whereas Zn contents of arc lavas, MORB, ocean island basalts (OIBs), and continental crustal samples are similar suggesting that the bulk partition coefficient for Zn is approximately equal to one. However, Zn contents of the upper mantle are lower than these reservoirs implying an enrichment of the source region in Zn prior to melting. These nonigneous enrichments have implications not only for arc magma genesis but also for continental crust formation and crust-mantle evolution. The mobility of Pb, As, Sb, and B in hot, reducing, acidic hydrothermal fluids may be greatly enhanced relative to the large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs; including U) as a result of HS -, H 2S, OH -, or other types of complexing. In the case of Pb, continued transport of Pb from subducted slabs into arc magma source regions throughout Earth history coupled with a U fluxing of the mantle a the end of the Archean may account for the depletion of Pb in the upper mantle, the low U/Pb of most arc volcanics and continental crustal rocks, and provide an explanation for the Pb- Paradox (Hofmann et al., 1986;McCulloch, 1993;Miller et al., 1994). Recycled slabs will then retain high U/Pb ratios upon entering the deep mantle and may eventually become incorporated into the source regions of many OIBs; some with HIMU (high 238U/ 204Pb) signatures.

Dikes, joints, and faults in the upper mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilshire, H. G.; Kirby, S. H.

1989-04-01

Three different types of macroscopic fractures are recognized in upper-mantle and lower-crustal xenoliths in volcanic rocks from around the world: (1) joints that are tensile fractures not occupied by crystallized magma products (2) dikes that are tensile fractures occupied by mafic magmas crystallized to pyroxenites, gabbros or hydrous-mineral-rich rocks, (3) faults that are unfilled shear fractures with surface markings indicative of shear displacement. In addition to intra-xenolith fractures, xenoliths commonly have polygonal or faceted shapes that represent fractures exploited during incorporation of the xenoliths into the host magma that brought them to the surface. The various types of fractures are considered to have formed in response to the pressures associated with magmatic fluids and to the ambient tectonic stress field. The presence of fracture sets and crosscutting relations indicate that both magma-filled and unfilled fractures can be contemporaneous and that the local stress field can change with time, leading to repeated episodes of fracture. These observations give insight into the nature of deep fracture processes and the importance of fluid-peridotite interactions in the mantle. We suggest that unfilled fractures were opened by volatile fluids exsolved from ascending magmas to the tops of growing dikes. These volatile fluids are important because they are of low viscosity and can rapidly transmit fluid pressure to dike and fault tips and because they lower the energy and tectonic stresses required to extend macroscopic cracks and to allow sliding on pre-existing fractures. Mantle seismicity at depths of 20-65 km beneath active volcanic centers in Hawaii corresponds to the depth interval where CO 2-rich fluids are expected to be liberated from ascending basaltic magmas, suggesting that such fluids play an important role in facilitating earthquake instabilities in the presence of tectonic stresses. Other phenomena related to the fractures include permeation of peridotite by fluid inclusions derived by degassing of magmas, partial melting of peridotite and dike rocks, and metasomatic alteration of peridotite host rock by magmas emplaced in fractures. These effects of magmatism generally reduce the bulk density of peridotite and might also reduce seismic velocities. The velocity contrasts between fractured and unfractured peridotite might be detected by seismic-velocity profiling techniques.

Probing the volcanic-plutonic connection and the genesis of crystal-rich rhyolite in a deeply dissected supervolcano in the Nevada Great Basin: Source of the late Eocene Caetano Tuff

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watts, Kathryn E.; John, David A.; Colgan, Joseph P.; Henry, Christopher D.; Bindeman, Ilya N.; Schmitt, Axel K.

2016-01-01

Late Cenozoic faulting and large-magnitude extension in the Great Basin of the western USA has created locally deep windows into the upper crust, permitting direct study of volcanic and plutonic rocks within individual calderas. The Caetano caldera in north–central Nevada, formed during the mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up, offers one of the best exposed and most complete records of caldera magmatism. Integrating whole-rock geochemistry, mineral chemistry, isotope geochemistry and geochronology with field studies and geologic mapping, we define the petrologic evolution of the magmatic system that sourced the >1100 km3Caetano Tuff. The intra-caldera Caetano Tuff is up to ∼5 km thick, composed of crystal-rich (30–45 vol. %), high-silica rhyolite, overlain by a smaller volume of comparably crystal-rich, low-silica rhyolite. It defies classification as either a monotonous intermediate or crystal-poor zoned rhyolite, as commonly ascribed to ignimbrite eruptions. Crystallization modeling based on the observed mineralogy and major and trace element geochemistry demonstrates that the compositional zonation can be explained by liquid–cumulate evolution in the Caetano Tuff magma chamber, with the more evolved lower Caetano Tuff consisting of extracted liquids that continued to crystallize and mix in the upper part of the chamber following segregation from a cumulate-rich, and more heterogeneous, source mush. The latter is represented in the caldera stratigraphy by the less evolved upper Caetano Tuff. Whole-rock major, trace and rare earth element geochemistry, modal mineralogy and mineral chemistry, O, Sr, Nd and Pb isotope geochemistry, sanidine Ar–Ar geochronology, and zircon U–Pb geochronology and trace element geochemistry provide robust evidence that the voluminous caldera intrusions (Carico Lake pluton and Redrock Canyon porphyry) are genetically equivalent to the least evolved Caetano Tuff and formed from magma that remained in the lower chamber after ignimbrite eruption and caldera collapse. Thus, the Caetano Tuff contradicts models for the mutually exclusive origins of voluminous volcanic and plutonic magmas in the upper crust. Crystal-scale O isotope data indicate that the Caetano Tuff is one of the most 18O-enriched rhyolites in the Great Basin (δ18Omagma = 10·2 ± 0·2‰), supporting anatexis of local metasedimentary basement crust. Metapelite xenoliths in the Carico Lake pluton and ubiquitous xenocrystic zircons in the Caetano Tuff provide constraints for the anatexis process; these data point to shallow (<15 km) dehydration melting of a protolith similar to the Proterozoic McCoy Creek Group siliciclastic sediments in eastern Nevada, projected beneath Caetano in fault-stacked shelf sediments that were thickened during Mesozoic crustal shortening. Mean zircon U–Pb ages for different stratigraphic levels of the intra-caldera Caetano Tuff are 34·2–34·5 Ma, 0·2–0·5 Myr older than the caldera sanidine 40Ar/39Ar age of 34·00 ± 0·03 Ma, documenting protracted duration of assembly and homogenization of isotopically diverse upper crustal melts, followed by crystallization and zonation to generate the Caetano Tuff magma chamber. Sanidine rims in the least evolved Caetano Tuff and in the Carico Lake pluton and Redrock Canyon porphyry have sharply zoned Ba domains that point to crystal growth during magmatic recharge events. The recharge magma is inferred to have been compositionally similar to the Caetano Tuff magma, with increased Ba resulting from remelting of Ba-rich sanidine cumulates. Mush reactivation to generate the Caetano Tuff eruption was sufficiently rapid to preserve compositional gradients in the intracaldera ignimbrite, calling into question models that predict homogeneity as a prerequisite for remobilizing crystal-rich ignimbrite magmas.

Sub-crustal seismic activity beneath Klyuchevskoy Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, M. J.; Droznina, S.; Levin, V. L.; Senyukov, S.

2013-12-01

Seismic activity is extremely vigorous beneath the Klyuchevskoy Volcanic Group (KVG). The unique aspect is the distribution in depth. In addition to upper-crustal seismicity, earthquakes take place at depths in excess of 20 km. Similar observations are known in other volcanic regions, however the KVG is unique in both the number of earthquakes and that they occur continuously. Most other instances of deep seismicity beneath volcanoes appear to be episodic or transient. Digital recording of seismic signals started at the KVG in early 2000s.The dense local network reliably locates earthquakes as small as ML~1. We selected records of 20 earthquakes located at depths over 20 km. Selection was based on the quality of the routine locations and the visual clarity of the records. Arrivals of P and S waves were re-picked, and hypocentral parameters re-established. Newl locations fell within the ranges outlined by historical seismicity, confirming the existence of two distinct seismically active regions. A shallower zone is at ~20 km depth, and all hypocenters are to the northeast of KVG, in a region between KVG and Shiveluch volcano. A deeper zone is at ~30 km, and all hypocenters cluster directly beneath the edifice of the Kyuchevskoy volcano. Examination of individual records shows that earthquakes in both zones are tectonic, with well-defined P and S waves - another distinction of the deep seismicity beneath KVG. While the upper seismic zone is unquestionably within the crust, the provenance of the deeper earthquakes is enigmatic. The crustal structure beneath KVG is highly complex, with no agreed-upon definition of the crust-mantle boundary. Rather, a range of values, from under 30 to over 40 km, exists in the literature. Similarly, a range of velocity structures has been reported. Teleseismic receiver functions (RFs) provide a way to position the earthquakes with respect to the crust-mantle boundary. We compare the differential travel times of S and P waves from deep events observed at a site closest to the epicenter to delay times of Ps phases in RFs that we associate with the crust-mantle transition. Both observations are essentially differences between travel times of S and P waves originating at the same place, and traversing the same velocity structure. Consequently, the uncertainty of the velocity structure beneath the KVG does not influence the comparison. For all events nominally located at 28-30 km beneath KVG the S-P time at the nearest site (CIR) significantly exceeds 4 seconds. Given that crust-mantle boundary Ps times at nearby sites are ~3 s, these earthquakes take place in the upper mantle. Both recent RFs and wide-angle reflection (Deep Seismic Sounding) studies in the late 1970s identified additional boundaries beneath KVG at depths in excess of 40 km. The nature of these boundaries is unclear, however their sharpness suggests chemical changes or the presence of fluids or melts. Chemistry of Klyuchevskoy lavas suggests sub-crustal origin with no clear magma chamber within the crust. Sub-crustal earthquakes we describe show that processes in the magma conduit at the base of the crust beneath KVG are vigorous enough to promote brittle failure in the surrounding mantle rock. The complex seismic structure of the uppermost mantle beneath KVG may reflect a history of magma injection that is accompanied by seismic energy release.

Low-(18)O Silicic Magmas: Why Are They So Rare?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balsley, S.D.; Gregory, R.T.

1998-10-15

LOW-180 silicic magmas are reported from only a small number of localities (e.g., Yellowstone and Iceland), yet petrologic evidence points to upper crustal assimilation coupled with fractional crystallization (AFC) during magma genesis for nearly all silicic magmas. The rarity of 10W-l `O magmas in intracontinental caldera settings is remarkable given the evidence of intense 10W-l*O meteoric hydrothermal alteration in the subvolcanic remnants of larger caldera systems. In the Platoro caldera complex, regional ignimbrites (150-1000 km3) have plagioclase 6180 values of 6.8 + 0.1%., whereas the Middle Tuff, a small-volume (est. 50-100 km3) post-caldera collapse pyroclastic sequence, has plagioclase 8]80 valuesmore » between 5.5 and 6.8%o. On average, the plagioclase phenocrysts from the Middle Tuff are depleted by only 0.3%0 relative to those in the regional tuffs. At Yellowstone, small-volume post-caldera collapse intracaldera rhyolites are up to 5.5%o depleted relative to the regional ignimbrites. Two important differences between the Middle Tuff and the Yellowstone 10W-180 rhyolites elucidate the problem. Middle Tuff magmas reached water saturation and erupted explosively, whereas most of the 10W-l 80 Yellowstone rhyolites erupted effusively as domes or flows, and are nearly devoid of hydrous phenocrysts. Comparing the two eruptive types indicates that assimilation of 10W-180 material, combined with fractional crystallization, drives silicic melts to water oversaturation. Water saturated magmas either erupt explosively or quench as subsurface porphyrins bejiire the magmatic 180 can be dramatically lowered. Partial melting of low- 180 subvolcanic rocks by near-anhydrous magmas at Yellowstone produced small- volume, 10W-180 magmas directly, thereby circumventing the water saturation barrier encountered through normal AFC processes.« less

Assimilation by Lunar Mare Basalts: Melting of Crustal Material and Dissolution of Anorthite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finnila, A. B.; Hess, P. C.; Rutherford, M. J.

1994-01-01

We discuss techniques for calculating the amount of crustal assimilation possible in lunar magma chambers and dikes based on thermal energy balances, kinetic rates, and simple fluid mechanical constraints. Assuming parent magmas of picritic compositions, we demonstrate the limits on the capacity of such magmas to melt and dissolve wall rock of anorthitic, troctolitic, noritic, and KREEP (quartz monzodiorite) compositions. Significant melting of the plagioclase-rich crustal lithologies requires turbulent convection in the assimilating magma and an efficient method of mixing in the relatively buoyant and viscous new melt. Even when this occurs, the major element chemistry of the picritic magmas will change by less than 1-2 wt %. Diffusion coefficients measured for Al2O3 from an iron-free basalt and an orange glass composition are 10(exp -12) m(exp 2) s(exp -1) at 1340 C and 10(exp -11) m(exp 2) s(exp -1) at 1390 C. These rates are too slow to allow dissolution of plagioclase to significantly affect magma compositions. Picritic magmas can melt significant quantities of KREEP, which suggests that their trace element chemistry may still be affected by assimilation processes; however, mixing viscous melts of KREEP composition with the fluid picritic magmas could be prohibitively difficult. We conclude that only a small part of the total major element chemical variation in the mare basalt and volcanic glass collection is due to assimilation/fractional crystallization processes near the lunar surface. Instead, most of the chemical variation in the lunar basalts and volcanic glasses must result from assimilation at deeper levels or from having distinct source regions in a heterogeneous lunar mantle.

In Situ Analysis of Orthopyroxene in Diogenites Using Laser Ablation ICP-MS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elk, Mattias; Quinn, J. E.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.

2012-01-01

Howardites, eucrites and diogenites (HED) form a suit of igneous achondrite meteorites that are thought to have formed on a single asteroidal body. While there have been many different models proposed for the formation of the HED parent asteroid they can be generalized into two end member models. One is the magma ocean model (e.g. [1]) in which the entire HED parent body was continuously fractionated from a planet wide magma ocean with diogenites representing the lower crust and eucrites being upper crustal rocks. The second model hypothesizes that diogenites and eucrites were formed as a series of intrusions and/or extrusions of partial melts of a primitive proto-Vesta [2]. We use in situ trace element analysis together with major and minor element analysis to try and distinguish between these different hypotheses for the evolution of the HED parent body.

Crustal forensics in arc magmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, Jon P.; Hora, John M.; Garrison, Jennifer M.; Dungan, Michael A.

2005-01-01

The geochemical characteristics of continental crust are present in nearly all arc magmas. These characteristics may reflect a specific source process, such as fluid fluxing, common to both arc magmas and the continental crust, and/or may reflect the incorporation of continental crust into arc magmas either at source via subducted sediment, or via contamination during differentiation. Resolving the relative mass contributions of juvenile, mantle-derived material, versus that derived from pre-existing crust of the upper plate, and providing these estimates on an element-by-element basis, is important because: (1) we want to constrain crustal growth rates; (2) we want to quantitatively track element cycling at convergent margins; and (3) we want to determine the origin of economically important elements and compounds. Traditional geochemical approaches for determining the contributions of various components to arc magmas are particularly successful when applied on a comparative basis. Studies of suites from multiple magmatic systems along arcs, for which differentiation effects can be individually constrained, can be used to extrapolate to potential source compositions. In the Lesser Antilles Arc, for example, differentiation trends from individual volcanoes are consistent with open-system evolution. However, such trends do not project back to a common primitive magma composition, suggesting that differentiation modifies magmas that were derived from distinct mantle sources. We propose that such approaches should now be complemented by petrographically constrained mineral-scale isotope and trace element analysis to unravel the contributing components to arc magmas. This innovative approach can: (1) better constrain true end-member compositions by returning wider ranges in geochemical compositions among constituent minerals than is found in whole rocks; (2) better determine magmatic evolution processes from core-rim isotopic or trace element profiles from the phases contained in magmas; and (3) constrain rates of differentiation by applying diffusion-controlled timescales to element profiles. An example from Nguaruhoe Volcano, New Zealand, underscores the importance of such a microsampling approach, showing that mineral isotopic compositions encompass wide ranges, that whole-rock isotopic compositions are consequently simply element-weighted averages of the heterogeneous crystal cargo, and that open-system evolution is proved by core-rim variations in Sr isotope ratios. Nguaruhoe is just one of many systems examined through microanalytical approaches. The overwhelming conclusion of these studies is that crystal cargoes are not truly phenocrystic, but are inherited from various sources. The implication of this realization is that the interpretation of whole-rock isotopic data, including the currently popular U-series, needs careful evaluation in the context of petrographic observations.

The interplay between crystallization, replenishment and hybridization in large felsic magma chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bateman, R.

1995-09-01

While hybridized granitoid magmas are readily identifiable, the mechanisms of hybridization in large crustal magma chambers are so not clearly understood. Characteristic features of hybrid granitoids are (1) both the granitoid and included enclaves are commonly hybrids, as shown by mineralogy, geochemistry and isotopes; (2) mixing seen in zoned plutons and synplutonic dykes and enclaves occurred early; (3) zoned plagioclase phenocrysts commonly show very complex life histories of growth and dissolution; (4) mafic end-members in hybrids are commonly fractionated magmas and (5) stratification in subvolcanic granitoid magma chambers is not uncommon, and stratification has been identified in some deeper level plutons. Hybridization must overcome the tendency to form a stable stratification of dense mafic magma underlying less dense felsic magma. Experimental work with magma analogues and theoretical considerations reveal very severe thermal, rheological and dynamical limitations on mixing: only very similar (composition, temperature) magmas are likely to mix to homogeneity, and only moderately silicic hybrids are likely to be produced. However, "impossibly" silicic hybrids do exist. Synchronous, interactive fractional crystallization and hybridization may provide a mechanism for hybridization of magmas, in the following manner. A mafic magma intrudes into the base of a stratified felsic magma and is cooled against it. Crystallization of the upper boundary layer of the mafic magma yields an eventually buoyant residual melt that overturns and mixes with an adjacent stratum of the felsic magma chamber. Subsequently, melt released by crystallization pf this, now-hybrid zone mixes with adjacent, more felsic zones. Thus, a suite of hybrid magmas are progressively formed. Density inhibitions are overcome by the generation of relatively low density residual melts. As crystallization proceeds, later injections are preserved as dykes and enclaves composed of hybrid magma. In this process, only physically adjacent and dynamically-thermally similar magmas directly interact, and so may mix to homogeneity. Finally, not simply felsic and mafic endmembers mix, but a whole suite of "intermediate" endmembers participate, ranging from relatively mafic through to felsic pairs of magmas. Direct mixing between the primary magmas only occurs at the beginning.

A new model of lunar crust: asymmetry in crustal composition and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Tomoko; Takeda, Hiroshi; Yamaguchi, Akira; Ohtake, Makiko

2008-04-01

Earlier models of lunar crustal formation as a simple flotation of ferroan anorthosites (FAN) do not account for the diverse crustal composition revealed by feldspathic lunar meteorites and granulites in the Apollo samples. Based on the integrated results of recent studies of lunar meteorites and global chemical and mineralogical maps, we propose a novel asymmetric crust model with a ferroan, noritic, nearside crust and a magnesian, troctolitic farside crust. Asymmetric crystallization of a primordial magma ocean can be one possibility to produce a crust with an asymmetric composition. A post-magma-ocean origin for a portion of the lunar crust is also possible and would account for the positive eNd value for FAN and phase equilibria. The formation of giant basins, such as the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin may have significant effects on resurfacing of the early lunar crust. Thus, the observed surface composition of the feldspathic highland terrane (FHT) represents the combined results of magma ocean crystallization, post-magma-ocean magmatism and resurfacing by basin formation. The Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios, rock types, and mineral compositions of the FHT and the South Pole-Aitken basin Terrane (SPAT) obtained from the KAGUYA mission, coupled with further mineralogical and isotopic studies of lunar meteorites, will facilitate an assessment of the feasibility of the proposed crust model and improve understanding of lunar crustal genesis and evolution.

The Interplay Between Saline Fluid Flow and Dynamic Permeability in Magmatic-Hydrothermal Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weis, P.

2014-12-01

Magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits document the interplay between saline fluid flow and rock permeability. Numerical simulations of multi-phase flow of variably miscible, compressible H20-NaCl fluids in concert with a dynamic permeability model can reproduce characteristics of porphyry copper and epithermal gold systems. This dynamic permeability model incorporates depth-dependent permeability profiles characteristic for tectonically active crust as well as pressure- and temperature-dependent relationships describing hydraulic fracturing and the transition from brittle to ductile rock behavior. In response to focused expulsion of magmatic fluids from a crystallizing upper crustal magma chamber, the hydrothermal system self-organizes into a hydrological divide, separating an inner part dominated by ascending magmatic fluids under near-lithostatic pressures from a surrounding outer part dominated by convection of colder meteoric fluids under near-hydrostatic pressures. This hydrological divide also provides a mechanism to transport magmatic salt through the crust, and prevents the hydrothermal system to become "clogged" by precipitation of solid halite due to depressurization of saline, high-temperature magmatic fluids. The same physical processes at similar permeability ranges, crustal depths and flow rates are relevant for a number of active systems, including geothermal resources and excess degassing at volcanos. The simulations further suggest that the described mechanism can separate the base of free convection in high-enthalpy geothermal systems from the magma chamber as a driving heat source by several kilometers in the vertical direction in tectonic settings with hydrous magmatism. This hydrology would be in contrast to settings with anhydrous magmatism, where the base of the geothermal systems may be closer to the magma chamber.

Regional implications of geochemistry and style of emplacement of Miocene I-type diorite and granite, Delos, Cyclades, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pe-Piper, Georgia; Piper, David J. W.; Matarangas, Dionysis

2002-01-01

The Miocene plutons of the Cyclades were emplaced in a subduction setting during regional back-arc extension of continental crust, that led to flat-lying mid-crustal detachment faulting. Mapping of the island of Delos shows that quartz diorite and tonalite were emplaced as dykes in country rock of schist and marble within shear zones parallel to the extension direction. Mafic magmas were followed by numerous small batches of felsic magma, with magmatic and ductile deformation synchronous with magma emplacement. Late granite dykes occupy brittle fractures in the more deformed rocks. Mafic and intermediate rocks show a bimodal distribution of incompatible trace elements, with one group of broadly tholeiitic character and the other with substantial enrichment in Sr, Nb, and HFSE, but low Th and Ba. These differences appear to be inherited from two distinct mafic sources that are different from the mafic source for the plutons of the eastern Cyclades. Voluminous granodiorite results from these mafic magmas fractionating and/or mixing with felsic crustal material, some of which was derived by anatexis of a sedimentary protolith, indicated by high B and Mn. Some late granites appear derived from partial melting of Hercynian paragneiss. Regionally, the shear zones appear to be feeders to more extensive granitic plutons located at space produced at ramps in detachment fault zones. The shear zones parallel the Mid-Cycladic Lineament, a broad zone of displacement between two crustal blocks rotating in opposing directions as rollback took place at the Hellenic subduction zone. Distinctive geochemical features in Miocene igneous rocks suggests that these two blocks had quite different geological histories. The localisation of plutonism and core complexes near the Mid Cycladic Lineament suggests that this crustal-scale shear played a role in bringing subduction-derived magmas to mid-crustal levels. The heat supplied by the mafic magmas promoted ductile deformation high in the crust, where extension was concentrated, leading to the formation of core complexes. The regional extension resulted in progressive shallowing of the position of the granite solidus within the crust, leading to welding of the Mid-Cycladic Lineament, which is no longer seismically active.

Recycling and transport of continental material through the mantle wedge above subduction zones: A Caribbean example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas-Agramonte, Yamirka; Garcia-Casco, Antonio; Kemp, Anthony; Kröner, Alfred; Proenza, Joaquín A.; Lázaro, Concepción; Liu, Dunyi

2016-02-01

Estimates of global growth rates of continental crust critically depend upon knowledge of the rate at which crustal material is delivered back into the mantle at subduction zones and is then returned to the crust as a component of mantle-derived magma. Quantification of crustal recycling by subduction-related magmatism relies on indirect chemical and isotopic tracers and is hindered by the large range of potential melt sources (e.g., subducted oceanic crust and overlying chemical and clastic sediment, sub-arc lithospheric mantle, arc crust), whose composition may not be accurately known. There is also uncertainty about how crustal material is transferred from subducted lithosphere and mixed into the mantle source of arc magmas. We use the resilient mineral zircon to track crustal recycling in mantle-derived rocks of the Caribbean (Greater Antilles) intra-oceanic arc of Cuba, whose inception was triggered after the break-up of Pangea. Despite juvenile Sr and Nd isotope compositions, the supra-subduction zone ophiolitic and volcanic arc rocks of this Cretaceous (∼135-70 Ma) arc contain old zircons (∼200-2525 Ma) attesting to diverse crustal inputs. The Hf-O isotope systematics of these zircons suggest derivation from exposed crustal terranes in northern Central America (e.g. Mexico) and South America. Modeling of the sedimentary component in the most mafic lavas suggests a contribution of no more than 2% for the case of source contamination or less than 4% for sediment assimilation by the magma. We discuss several possibilities for the presence of inherited zircons and conclude that they were transported as detrital grains into the mantle beneath the Caribbean Plate via subduction of oceanic crust. The detrital zircons were subsequently entrained by mafic melts that were rapidly emplaced into the Caribbean volcanic arc crust and supra-subduction mantle. These findings suggest transport of continental detritus, through the mantle wedge above subduction zones, in magmas that otherwise do not show strong evidence for crustal input and imply that crustal recycling rates in some arcs may be higher than hitherto realized.

Magmatism at different crustal levels in the ancient North Cascades magmatic arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea, E. K.; Bowring, S. A.; Miller, R. B.; Miller, J. S.

2013-12-01

The mechanisms of magma ascent and emplacement inferred from study of intrusive complexes have long been the subject of intense debate. Current models favor incremental construction based on integration of field, geochemical, geochronologic, and modeling studies. Much of this work has been focused on a single crustal level. However, study of magmatism throughout the crust is critical for understanding how magma ascends through and intrudes surrounding crustal material. Here, we present new geochronologic and geochemical work from intrusive complexes emplaced at a range of crustal depths in the Cretaceous North Cascades magmatic arc. These complexes were intruded between 92 and 87 Ma at depths of at ≤5 -10 km, ~20 km, and ~25 km during this time. U-Pb CA-TIMS geochronology in zircon can resolve <0.1% differences in zircon dates and when combined with detailed field relationships allow new insights into how magmatic systems are assembled. We can demonstrate highly variable rates of intrusion at different crustal levels: the shallow-crustal (5-10 km) Black Peak intrusive complex was assembled semi-continuously over ~5 My, while the deep-crustal (25-30 km) Tenpeak intrusive complex was assembled in brief, high-flux events over ~2.6 My. Between these bodies is the Seven-Fingered Jack-Entiat intrusive complex, a highly elongate amalgamation of intrusions recording two episodes of magmatism between~92-88 Ma and ~80-77 Ma. Each of these complexes provides a window into crustal processes that occur at different depths. Our data suggest assembly of the Black Peak intrusive complex occurred via a series of small (0.5-2 km2) magmatic increments from ~92 Ma to ~87 Ma. Field relations and zircon trace element geochemistry indicate each of these increments were emplaced and crystallized as closed systems-we find no evidence for mixing between magmas in the complex. However, zircon inheritance becomes more common in younger intrusions, indicating assimilation of older plutonic material, possibly during magma production or transport. The Seven-Fingered Jack intrusive complex, emplaced around 15-20 km, preserves a much more discontinuous record of intrusion than the Black Peak. Our data indicate major magmatism in the complex occurred between ~92.1-91.1 Ma. Inheritance in the Seven-Fingered Jack is common, particularly along contacts between intrusions. The Tenpeak intrusive complex, assembled between ~92 Ma and 89 Ma, represents one of the deepest exhumed complexes in the North Cascades. Our geochronology indicates that plutons comprising the complex were intruded rapidly (<200 ka) and followed by periods of magmatic quiescence. Contact relations between contemporaneous intrusions are often mixed, further supporting rapid assembly. Zircon systematics in the Tenpeak are relatively simple, showing no evidence for inheritance from the surrounding host rock or from earlier intrusions. However, zircon oxygen isotope data indicates many magmas contain significant crustal input. The Black Peak, Seven-Fingered Jack, and Tenpeak intrusions illustrate the complicated nature of magmatism at different crustal levels in the 92-87 Ma North Cascades magmatic arc. Our data support incremental assembly of these complexes, but show that many features, such as style of emplacement, zircon chemical and temporal systematics, and magma composition vary between these intrusions.

Giant magmatic water reservoirs at mid-crustal depth inferred from electrical conductivity and the growth of the continental crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laumonier, Mickael; Gaillard, Fabrice; Muir, Duncan; Blundy, Jon; Unsworth, Martyn

2017-01-01

The formation of the continental crust at subduction zones involves the differentiation of hydrous mantle-derived magmas through a combination of crystallization and crustal melting. However, understanding the mechanisms by which differentiation occurs at depth is hampered by the inaccessibility of the deep crust in active continental arcs. Here we report new high-pressure electrical conductivity and petrological experiments on hydrated andesitic melt from Uturuncu volcano on the Bolivian Altiplano. By applying our results to regional magnetotelluric data, we show that giant conductive anomalies at mid-crustal levels in several arcs are characterized by relatively low amounts of intergranular andesitic partial melts with unusually high dissolved water contents (≥8 wt.% H2O). Below Uturuncu, the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body (APMB) displays an electrical conductivity that requires high water content (up to 10 wt.%) dissolved in the melt based on crystal-liquid equilibria and melt H2O solubility experiments. Such a super-hydrous andesitic melt must constitute about 10% of the APMB, the remaining 90% being a combination of magmatic cumulates and older crustal rocks. The crustal ponding level of these andesites at around 6 kbar pressure implies that on ascent through the crust hydrous magmas reach their water saturation pressure in the mid-crust, resulting in decompression-induced crystallization that increases magma viscosity and in turn leads to preferential stalling and differentiation. Similar high conductivity features are observed beneath the Cascades volcanic arc and Taupo Volcanic Zone. This suggests that large amounts of water in super-hydrous andesitic magmas could be a common feature of active continental arcs and may illustrate a key step in the structure and growth of the continental crust. One Sentence Summary: Geophysical, laboratory conductivity and petrological experiments reveal that deep electrical conductivity anomalies beneath the Central Andes, Cascades and Taupo Volcanic Zone image the ponding of super-hydrous andesitic melts which contributes to the growth of continental crust.

Basalt generation at the Apollo 12 site. Part 2: Source heterogeneity, multiple melts, and crustal contamination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, Clive R.; Hacker, Matthew D.; Snyder, Gregory A.; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Liu, Yun-Gang; Schmitt, Roman A.

1994-01-01

The petrogenesis of Apollo 12 mare basalts has been examined with emphasis on trace-element ratios and abundances. Vitrophyric basalts were used as parental compositions for the modeling, and proportions of fractionating phases were determined using the MAGFOX prograqm of Longhi (1991). Crystal fractionation processes within crustal and sub-crustal magma chambers are evaluated as a function of pressure. Knowledge of the fractionating phases allows trace-element variations to be considered as either source related or as a product of post-magma-generation processes. For the ilmenite and olivine basalts, trace-element variations are inherited from the source, but the pigeonite basalt data have been interpreted with open-system evolution processes through crustal assimilation. Three groups of basalts have been examined: (1) Pigeonite basalts-produced by the assimilation of lunar crustal material by a parental melt (up to 3% assimilation and 10% crystal fractionation, with an 'r' value of 0.3). (2) Ilmenite basalts-produced by variable degrees of partial melting (4-8%) of a source of olivine, pigeonite, augite, and plagioclase, brought together by overturn of the Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) cumulate pile. After generation, which did not exhaust any of the minerals in the source, these melts experienced closed-system crystal fractionation/accumulation. (3) Olivine basalts-produced by variable degrees of partial melting (5-10%) of a source of olivine, pigeonite, and augite. After generation, again without exhausting any of the minerals in the source, these melts evolved through crystal accumulation. The evolved liquid counterparts of these cumulates have not been sampled. The source compositions for the ilmenite and olivine basalts were calculated by assuming that the vitrophyric compositions were primary and the magmas were produced by non-modal batch melting. Although the magnitude is unclear, evaluation of these source regions indicates that both be composed of early- and late-stage Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) cumulates, requiring an overturn of the cumulate pile.

Sombrero uplift above the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body: evidence of a ballooning mid-crustal diapir.

PubMed

Fialko, Yuri; Pearse, Jill

2012-10-12

The Altiplano-Puna ultralow-velocity zone in the central Andes, South America, is the largest active magma body in Earth's continental crust. Space geodetic observations reported an uplift in the Altiplano-Puna proper at a rate of ~10 mm/year; however, the nature of the inferred inflation source has been uncertain. We present data showing that the uplift has persisted at a nearly constant rate over the past two decades, and is surrounded by a broad zone of subsidence. We show that the ongoing uplift and peripheral subsidence may result from a large mid-crustal diapir fed by partial melt from the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body.

Contrasting magmatic structures between small plutons and batholiths emplaced at shallow crustal level (Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinotti, Lucio P.; D'Eramo, Fernando J.; Weinberg, Roberto F.; Demartis, Manuel; Tubía, José María; Coniglio, Jorge E.; Radice, Stefania; Maffini, M. Natalia; Aragón, Eugenio

2016-11-01

Processes like injection, magma flow and differentiation and influence of the regional strain field are here described and contrasted to shed light on their role in the formation of small plutons and large batholiths their magmatic structures. The final geometric and compositional arrangement of magma bodies are a complex record of their construction and internal flow history. Magma injection, flow and differentiation, as well as regional stresses, all control the internal nature of magma bodies. Large magma bodies emplaced at shallow crustal levels result from the intrusion of multiple magma batches that interact in a variety of ways, depending on internal and external dynamics, and where the early magmatic, growth-related structures are commonly overprinted by subsequent history. In contrast, small plutons emplaced in the brittle-ductile transition more likely preserve growth-related structures, having a relatively simple cooling history and limited internal magma flow. Outcrop-scale magmatic structures in both cases record a rich set of complementary information that can help elucidate their evolution. Large and small granitic bodies of the Sierra Pampeanas preserve excellent exposures of magmatic structures that formed as magmas stepped through different rheological states during pluton growth and solidification. These structures reveal not only the flow pattern inside magma chambers, but also the rheological evolution of magmas in response to temperature evolution.

Numerical Simulations of the Thermodynamic Process of Granite Formation on the Geological model of In-situ Melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Z.; Wang, Y. J.; Chen, G. N.; Liu, J.; Liu, Y. J.

2017-12-01

The In-situ Melting model of granite reveals that granitic magma generated by anatexis is layer-like and magma convection results in thickening of the layer. On the basis and by integrating the research findings on rheological transitions of rocks in crustal melting, we simulated the thermodynamic process of granite formation by using Underworld1.7. The size of the numerical model is 100km×25km with free-slip boundary. The solidus temperature is postulated being 600° and the fusing-off temperatures is 705° that corresponds to the solid-liquid transition (SLT) of the partial melting system with the melt fraction percentage around 40%. The viscosities of rock and magma are separately calculated according to this melt percentage. The model runs on Tian-He2 supercomputer and the result indicates: 1) when temperature exceeds the solidus of rock, anatexis appears in the area below the 600° isotherm; 2) when temperature surpasses the fusing-off temperature of rock, a magma layer occurs in the area below 705° isotherm; 3) the initiation of magma convection accompanied with stoping is at the temperature around 739.6°, and the upper surface of magma layer, i.e. the MI (magma interface)/SLT (solid-liquid transition) moves upwards with time; 4) the velocity of the upward motion of MI/SLT depends on the bottom temperature and the thickness of magma layer depends on the duration of convection. Summing up, this modeling result demonstrates that the In-situ Melting model of granite meets the basic principle of physics and reveals details on the thermodynamic circumstances interacting with the development of melting and granite formation.Acknowledgement: This research is financially supported by NSFC (No 41372223, No 41230206 and No 41574087).

Crustal growth and episodic reworking over one billion years in the Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia: evidence from Lu-Hf and O isotope data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahn, Inalee; Clark, Chris; Reddy, Steve; Taylor, Rich

2017-04-01

Fundamental to understanding the generation and evolution of a crustal block is knowledge of the relationship between additions of new material from the mantle, and the extent of crustal recycling [1]. Hafnium isotope ratios can be used to characterise relative contributions from mantle, crustal and recycled reservoirs within magmas. Oxygen isotopes can be used to constrain the extent of crustal interaction during magma emplacement. When used in conjunction, they can help unravel multiple crystallisation histories of a crustal block, and follow the source composition through magma evolution. The Capricorn Orogen records the Paleoproterozoic collision of the Yilgarn and Pilbara Cratons to form the West Australian Craton, and over one billion years of subsequent intracontinental crustal reworking. U-Pb zircon geochronology records three discrete tectono-magmatic events which resulted in voluminous granitic magmatism: the 2005-1975 Ma Glenburgh Orogeny, the 1820-1770 Ma Capricorn Orogeny, and the 1680-1620 Ma Durlacher Orogeny [2]. We present U-Pb, Lu-Hf and δ18O isotopic data from zircon from 50 samples of granites and granitoids from the Capricorn Orogen to provide constraints on the crustal evolution of the Paleoproterozoic crust. Our results confirm crustal growth by juvenile mantle input was limited to the Glenburgh Orogeny associated with the amalgamation of the West Australian Craton, while all subsequent Paleoproterozoic magmatism was primarily derived from significant reworking of the pre-existing crustal components. Time-sliced maps showing the variation in Hf and O isotopes can be used to image crustal evolution in space and time, and are particularly useful in constraining the spatial and temporal extent of juvenile magmatic additions to the crust. These maps suggest that crustal growth was concentrated along, or in the terranes adjacent to, the Yilgarn Craton margin. Our results are in agreement with previous isotopic studies [3], and provide additional constraints for the evolution of the Paleoproterozoic crust within the Capricorn Orogen. [1] Cawood et al. 2013. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 125(1-2), 14-32 [2] Sheppard et al. 2010. Geological Survey of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, 336 [3] Johnson et al. 2017. Lithos, 268, 76-86

Sr, Nd, and Pb Isotopic Geochemistry of Rhyolites from the Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, R.; Kamenov, G. D.; Yanev, Y.

2002-12-01

Paleogene Eastern Rhodopes Volcanic Area (ERVA) is part of a more than 2000 km long magmatic belt in SE Europe extending from the Inner Dinarids (West Bosnia-Herzegovina) to Western Anatolia (European Turkey). Volcanic activity occurred during the Late Eocene-Early Oligocene and was spatially related to extensional Paleogene shallow marine basins underlain by a high-grade metamorphic basement. The volcanism is bimodal in character, with minor mafic (basalts) and major intermediate (mainly andesites) to acid (mainly rhyolites) volcanics present in similar volumes. This work focuses on Maritsa volcanic group (36-32 Ma) located in the NE part of the ERVA, S Bulgaria. The volcanic group comprises Lozen volcano composed of dacites, rhyodacites, and rhyolites, St Marina rhyolite dome, and Sheinovets rhyolite dome-cluster located within a caldera with the same name. Measured present day 87Sr/86Sr of the rhyolites range from 0.7075 to 0.7180, however on a plot 87Rb/86Sr vs 87Sr/86Sr the data form an errorchron (MSWD=21) with 30.5 +/-3.6Ma age and 87Sr/86Sr initial equal to 0.7074. Pb isotopic compositions in all of the volcanoes show similar values ranging from 18.712 to 18.768 in 206Pb/204Pb, 15.643 to 15.687 in 207Pb/204Pb, and 38.790 to 38.922 in 208Pb/204Pb. Nd isotopes show also little variations with 143Nd/144Nd ranging from 0.51242 to 0.51249. The similarity in the isotopic compositions between the volcanoes suggests common, homogeneous magmatic source. Crustal origin of the rhyolites as a result of melting of the metamorphic basement is not plausible because the rhyolites have different Sr and Nd isotopic compositions from the gneisses in the ERVA. Sr and Nd isotopic data for the rhyolites differ also from the basalts (i.e. possible mantle melts) in the Eastern Rhodopes region. Rhyolites have higher 87Sr/86Sr and lower 143Nd/144Nd ratios compared to the basalts, thus suggesting involvement of crustal component in the magma generation, most probably the metamorphic basement that underlies the volcanoes. On 143Nd/144Nd vs 87Sr/86Sr diagram the rhyolites plot on a mixing curve between the basalts and the gneisses from the metamorphic basement indicating about 70% mafic and 30% basement component involved in their genesis. Lead concentrations in the mantle is relatively low compared to the upper crust and the Pb isotopic signature in lavas generated in continental volcanic arcs is often completely dominated by crustal components. The rhyolites have more radiogenic 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb isotopic compositions than the basalts and plot entirely within the field defined by the metamorphic rocks in the ERVA suggesting that any mantle derived Pb was completely swamped by crustal Pb. Our isotopic results provide evidence for extensive crustal contamination of the felsic magmas in the region. Mafic melts, generated either during subduction or delamination ascended in the mantle wedge until they become stalled at a level of neutral buoyancy. Crustal melting and assimilation occurred at that level accompanied by homogenisation and crystal fractionation in large magma chambers until the evolving magmas reached the required density to re-establish buoyant ascent. The observed isotopic homogeneity in the felsic volcanoes in the region suggests that large zone of MASH at crustal levels existed during the Paleogene beneath the ERVA.

Flow of ultra-hot Precambrian orogens and the making of crustal layering in Phanerozoic orogenic plateaux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chardon, Dominique; Gapais, Denis; Cagnard, Florence; Jayananda, Mudlappa; Peucat, Jean-Jacques

2010-05-01

Reassessment of structural / metamorphic properties of ultra-hot Precambrian orogens and shortening of model weak lithospheres support a syn-convergence flow mode on an orogen scale, with a large component of horizontal finite elongation parallel to the orogen. This orogen-scale flow mode combines distributed shortening, gravity-driven flow, lateral escape, and three-dimensional mass redistribution of buried supracrustal rocks, magmas and migmatites in a thick fluid lower crust. This combination preserves a nearly flat surface and Moho. The upper crust maintains a nearly constant thickness by real-time erosion and near-field clastic sedimentation and by ablation at its base by burial of pop-downs into the lower crust. Steady state regime of these orogens is allowed by activation of an attachment layer that maintains kinematic compatibility between the thin and dominantly plastic upper crust and a thick "water bed" of lower crust. Because very thin lithospheres of orogenic plateaux and Precambrian hot orogens have similar thermomechanical structures, bulk orogenic flow comparable to that governing Precambrian hot orogens should actually operate through today's orogenic plateaux as well. Thus, syn-convergence flow fabrics documented on exposed crustal sections of ancient hot orogens that have not undergone collapse may be used to infer the nature of flow fabrics that are imaged by geophysical techniques beneath orogenic plateaux. We provide a detailed geological perspective on syn-convergence crustal flow in relation to magma emplacement and partial melting on a wide oblique crustal transition of the Neoarchean ultra-hot orogen of Southern India. We document sub-horizontal bulk longitudinal flow of the partially molten lower crust over a protracted period of 60 Ma. Bulk flow results from the interplay of (1) pervasive longitudinal transtensional flow of the partially molten crust, (2) longitudinal coaxial flow on flat fabrics in early plutons, (3) distributed, orogen-normal shortening, (4) emplacement of late prolate shape plutons in the direction of flow, and (5) late, conjugate strike-slip shearing. The macroscopic- to regional scale tectonoplutonic pattern produced by longitudinal flow forms a flat composite anisotropy throughout the lower crust. In the light of GPS data, these results suggest that bulk longitudinal flow accounts for observed deformation of the Tibetan plateau as well as for its seismic structure. This flow mode may be preferred to lateral, east-directed channel flow because it combines both lateral gravity-driven thinning and distributed, orogen-normal shortening of the crust. These results further suggest that lower crustal seismic reflectivity in orogenic belts may not necessarily images fabrics produced by extensional tectonics, as commonly thought, but crustal layering produced by syn-convergence lateral flow.

Volatile (H2O, CO2) and Halogen (Cl) Systematics of SMAR MORB (44-52.5 ° S)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

le Roux, P. J.; le Roex, A. P.; Hauri, E. H.

2013-12-01

New SIMS volatile (H2O, CO2) and halogen (Cl) concentration data are presented for fresh MORB glasses (>6wt% MgO) from the slow-spreading southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR; 44-52.5 ° S). This data set complements previous data from the faster-spreading northern East Pacific Rise (EPR; 8-10 ° N and 12-14 ° N; le Roux et al., 2006). The selected MORB samples span the previously observed compositional range between enriched and depleted mantle source regions along this section of the SMAR (le Roux et al., 2002b), as well as the range of magma crystallization characteristics (le Roux et al., 2002a). The pre-eruption transit of MORB magmas through the upper oceanic crust can potentially result in compositional contamination through assimilation of e.g. sea-water altered crustal material and/or saline brines. This would most-noticeable through significant addition of sea-water derived Cl to a magma, resulting in excess Cl concentrations and elevated Cl/Nb ratios (>50) in erupted MORB lavas (le Roux et al., 2006; Michael & Cornell, 1998). Dissolved H2O (0.12-0.61wt%) and CO2 (69-230ppm) concentrations in the MORB glass samples provide pressure estimates of eruption initiation, and therefore the final crustal depth at which significant magma compositional modification occurred (Dsat; le Roux et al., 2006). Unlike the northern EPR region, no geophysical data are available for this section of the SMAR. A comparison of Dsat with the depth of imaged magma chambers, similar to results from the northern EPR (le Roux et al., 2006), is therefore not directly possible. However, estimates of the calculated pressures of MORB magma crystallization for these SMAR samples (le Roux et al., 2002a) can be compared with Dsat. The dissolved H2O and CO2 contents of the SMAR basalts are consistent with slow magma ascent allowing degassing to keep pace with decompression (Dsat 0-550m.b.s.l.). Observed Cl contents (15-170ppm) of these SMAR basalts are well-correlated with Nb and indicate the near absence of interaction of the magmas with hydrothermally-altered rocks in the crust (Cl/Nb 5.67-14.2). This may be due to the absence of long-lived hydrothermal systems linked to established sub-ridge magma chambers, as observed at the northern EPR where spreading rates and magma supply are both higher. le Roux et al. (2002a) CMP, 142, 582-602 le Roux et al. (2002b) EPSL, 203, 479-498 le Roux et al. (2006) EPSL, 251, 209-231 Michael; Cornell (1998) JGRes, 103, 18325-18356

Seismic perspectives from the western U.S. on the evolution of magma reservoirs underlying major silicic eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmandt, B.; Huang, H. H.; Farrell, J.; Hansen, S. M.; Jiang, C.

2017-12-01

The western U.S. Cordillera has hosted widespread magmatic activity since the Eocene including ≥1,000 km3 silicic eruptions since 1 Ma. A review of recent seismic constraints on relatively young (≤1.1 Ma) and old (Oligocene) magmatic systems provides insight into the heterogeneity among these systems and their temporal evolution. Local seismic data vary widely but all of these systems are covered by the USArray's 70-km spacing. Among 3 young systems with ≥300 km3 silicic eruptions (Yellowstone - 0.64 Ma; Long Valley - 0.76 Ma; Valles - 1.1 Ma) only Yellowstone shows sufficiently low seismic velocities to require partial melt in the upper crust at scales visible with USArray data. Finer-scale arrays refine the shape of large (>1,000 km3) partially molten volumes in the upper and lower crust at Yellowstone, and similar studies at Long Valley and Valles indicate much smaller volumes of partial melt. Notably, Long Valley Caldera is seismically active in the upper and lower crust, has a high flux of CO2 degassing, and multi-year geodetic transients consistent with an inflating upper crustal reservoir of 2-4 km radius (compared to 20x50x5 km at Yellowstone). Upper mantle seismic imaging finds strong low velocity anomalies that require some partial melt beneath Yellowstone and Long Valley, but more ambiguous results beneath Valles. Thus, the structures of the three young large-volume silicic systems are highly variable suggesting that large reservoirs of melt in the upper crust are short-lived with respect to the ≤1.1 Ma since the last major eruption, consistent with recent inferences from geochemically constrained thermal histories of erupted crystals. Among long-extinct silicic systems, most were severely overprinted by extensional deformation. The San Juan and Mogollon Datil are exceptions with only modest deformation. These systems show low-to-average velocity crust down to a sharp Moho and relatively thin crust for their elevations. Both are consistent with a felsic to intermediate crustal column, suggesting that mafic cumulates required to produce silicic magma from basaltic inputs are not present in large quantities (>5 km layers). We infer that post-eruption foundering of mafic cumulates into the mantle occurred and was not followed by another major episode of basaltic melt input.

Assimilation of granite by basaltic magma at Burnt Lava flow, Medicine Lake volcano, northern California: Decoupling of heat and mass transfer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grove, T.L.; Kinzler, R.J.; Baker, M.B.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Lesher, C.E.

1988-01-01

At Medicine Lake volcano, California, andesite of the Holocene Burnt Lava flow has been produced by fractional crystallization of parental high alumina basalt (HAB) accompanied by assimilation of granitic crustal material. Burnt Lava contains inclusions of quenched HAB liquid, a potential parent magma of the andesite, highly melted granitic crustal xenoliths, and xenocryst assemblages which provide a record of the fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation process. Samples of granitic crustal material occur as xenoliths in other Holocene and Pleistocene lavas, and these xenoliths are used to constrain geochemical models of the assimilation process. A large amount of assimilation accompanied fractional crystallization to produce the contaminated Burnt lava andesites. Models which assume that assimilation and fractionation occurred simultaneously estimate the ratio of assimilation to fractional crystallization (R) to be >1 and best fits to all geochemical data are at an R value of 1.35 at F=0.68. Petrologic evidence, however, indicates that the assimilation process did not involve continuous addition of granitic crust as fractionation occurred. Instead, heat and mass transfer were separated in space and time. During the assimilation process, HAB magma underwent large amounts of fractional crystallization which was not accompanied by significant amounts of assimilation. This fractionation process supplied heat to melt granitic crust. The models proposed to explain the contamination process involve fractionation, replenishment by parental HAB, and mixing of evolved and parental magmas with melted granitic crust. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Recent Volcanism in the Northern Gulf of California: The Effects of Thick Deltaic Sedimentation in Magmatic Differentiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, A.; Hurtado, J. C.; Weber, B.; Schmitt, A. K.

2016-12-01

Quaternary volcanism in the northern Gulf of California provides a unique opportunity to characterize active crustal accretion under thick deltaic sedimentation from the Colorado River. Up to 17 volcanic seamounts are identified by high-resolution bathymetry and seismic reflexion profiles, principally in the Lower Delfin and the sheared peninsular margin north of Canal de Ballenas. Samples from eight subaereal and three submarine volcanoes are distinctively composed of andesite to rhyolite, and no basaltic eruptions are yet recognized, although dolerite sills and xenoliths of microphyric gabbro are reported in geothermal wells both, in the Salton and Cerro Prieto basins and saucer shape sills in the Lower Delfin basin indicate shallow mafic intrusions. Sr-Nd isotope data indicate that parent magma derives from partial melting of the Pacific mantle indicating that continental rupture is complete in the active rift basins. However, these rocks also demonstrate evidence of assimilation (eNd 1 to 5) and thus are compositionally modified as they are transported through the thick sequence of water rich sediments. Re-melting of hydrothermally altered mafic intrusives, crystal fractionation and variable (<20%) assimilation of continental crust and sediments produce the observed compositional spectra of Quaternary to Holocene eruptions. We explore the effects of thick, poorly consolidated sediments in the ascent of basaltic magma by means of a hydrostatic model that consider the crustal density structure in the Upper Delfin basin and sediment density logs from exploration wells. The hydrostatic model predicts that basaltic magma (2.68 g/cc) stalls 1 to 1.5 km beneath the seafloor and only andesite to rhyolite magmas reach shallower levels, where they exsolve volatiles and produce volcanic eruptions. We conclude that thick deltaic deposits promote magmatic differentiation and formation of a hybrid type of new crust in narrow rift basins in the northern Gulf of California and the Salton Trough.

Crustal Deformation in the Kanto District, Central Japan, Following the 2000 Seismo-volcanic Activity of the Izu Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagiya, T.

2004-12-01

Starting from June 26, 2000, an unprecedented seismic activity occurred around the Miyake-jima, Kohzu-shima, and Nii-jima Islands, in the northern Izu islands. This seismic swarm activity was initiated by the volcanic magma intrusion beneath the Miyake-jima volcano. An intrusion of massive (about 1km3) magma caused the seismic swarm activity and magnificent crustal deformation in the surrounding area within about 200km from the source region. After the seismic swarm activity calmed down, we detect a change in crustal displacement rates in the southern Kanto region from daily coordinate solutions of the continuous GPS network. Interestingly, the change appears mostly in the E-W components. Comparison of GPS velocity data for two time periods (1996-200 and 2001-2002) indicate that the westward displacement rate decreased by about 25% (from 23 mm/yr to 17 mm/yr) at Tateyama, the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula. On the other hand, we do not see significant changes in the N-S and vertical components. Continuous monitoring of crustal displacements with GPS has revealed that the post-swarm deformation is now coming back to the pre-swarm steady state. That is, the time series of E-W component show transient curves, converging into the original steady state. The transient curve can be equally well reproduced by an exponential decay or a logarithmic function. The relaxation time for the exponential curve is estimated as about 3 years. One possible explanation for this transient deformation is viscoelastic relaxation. Since the Izu Islands are situated on the oceanic Philippine Sea plate, the upper mantle with a low viscosity would response to the huge stress change cause by the magma intrusion. The other possibility is a change of frictional property on the plate interface between the Philippine Sea and the Pacific plate. Under the southern Kanto area, the subducted Philippine Sea slab leans on the subdcted Pacific slab. Interaction between these two oceanic plates is still not understood well. But the massive dyke intrusion strongly pushed the subducted Philippine Sea slab, changing the frictional status at the bottom of the Philippine Sea plate. Since the motion of the Pacific plate subduction is nearly westward, this idea can be a solution for the observation that only the E-W components are affected.

The oxygen isotope composition of Karoo and Etendeka picrites: High δ18O mantle or crustal contamination?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Chris; le Roux, Petrus; Cochrane, Ryan; Martin, Laure; Duncan, Andrew R.; Marsh, Julian S.; le Roex, Anton P.; Class, Cornelia

2015-07-01

Oxygen isotope compositions of Karoo and Etendeka large igneous province (LIP) picrites and picrite basalts are presented to constrain the effects of crustal contamination versus mantle source variation. Olivine and orthopyroxene phenocrysts from lavas and dykes (Mg# 64-80) from the Tuli and Mwenezi (Nuanetsi) regions of the ca 180 Ma Karoo LIP have δ18O values that range from 6.0 to 6.7 ‰. They appear to have crystallized from magmas having δ18O values about 1-1.5 ‰ higher than expected in an entirely mantle-derived magma. Olivines from picrite and picrite basalt dykes from the ca 135 Ma Etendeka LIP of Namibia and Karoo-age picrite dykes from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, do not have such elevated δ18O values. A range of δ18O values from 4.9 to 6.0 ‰, and good correlations between δ18O value and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios for the Etendeka picrites are consistent with previously proposed models of crustal contamination. Explanations for the high δ18O values in Tuli/Mwenezi picrites are limited to (1) alteration, (2) crustal contamination, and (3) derivation from mantle with an abnormally high δ18O. Previously, a variety of models that range from crustal contamination to derivation from the `enriched' mantle lithosphere have been suggested to explain high concentrations of incompatible elements such as K, and average ɛNd and ɛSr values of -8 and +16 in Mwenezi (Nuanetsi) picrites. However, the primitive character of the magmas (Mg# 73), combined with the lack of correlation between δ18O values and radiogenic isotopic compositions, MgO content, or Mg# is inconsistent with crustal contamination. Thus, an 18O-enriched mantle source having high incompatible trace element concentration and enriched radiogenic isotope composition is indicated. High δ18O values are accompanied by negative Nb and Ta anomalies, consistent with the involvement of the mantle lithosphere, whereas the high δ18O themselves are consistent with an eclogitic source. Magma δ18O values about 1 ‰ higher than expected for mantle-derived magma are also a feature of the Bushveld mafic and ultramafic magmas, and the possibility exists that a long-lived 18O-enriched mantle source has existed beneath southern Africa. A mixed eclogite peridotite source could have developed by emplacement of oceanic lithosphere into the cratonic keel during Archaean subduction.

Lower continental crust formation through focused flow in km-scale melt conduits: The zoned ultramafic bodies of the Chilas Complex in the Kohistan island arc (NW Pakistan)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagoutz, O.; Müntener, O.; Burg, J.-P.; Ulmer, P.; Jagoutz, E.

2006-02-01

Whole-rock and Sm-Nd isotopic data of the main units of the Chilas zoned ultramafic bodies (Kohistan paleo-island arc, NW Pakistan) indicate that ultramafic rocks and gabbronorite sequences stem from a common magma. However, field observations rule out formation of both ultramafic and mafic sequences in terms of gravitational crystal settling in a large magma chamber. Contacts between ultramafic and gabbronorite sequences show emplacement of the dunitic bodies into a semi-consolidated gabbronoritic crystal-mush, which in turn has intruded and reacted with the ultramafic rocks to produce concentric zoning. Field and petrological observations indicate a replacive origin of the dunite. Bulk Mg#'s of dunitic rocks range from 0.87-0.81 indicating that the dunite-forming melt underwent substantial fractionation-differentiation and that percolative fractional crystallization probably generated the dunitic core. The REE chemistry of clinopyroxene in primitive dunite samples and the Nd isotopic composition of ultramafic rocks are in equilibrium with the surrounding gabbronorite. Accordingly, liquids that formed the dunitic rocks and later the mafic sequence derived from a similar depleted source ( ɛNd˜4.8). We propose a mechanism for the comagmatic emplacement, where km-scale ultramafic bodies represent continuous channels reaching down into the upper mantle. The melt-filled porosity in these melt channels diminishes the mean-depth-integrated density difference to the surrounding rocks. Due to buoyancy forces, melt channels raise into the overlying crustal sequence. In the light of such processes, the ultramafic bodies are interpreted as melt channels through which the Chilas gabbronorite sequence was fed. The estimated basaltic-andesitic, low Mg# (˜0.53) bulk composition of the Chilas gabbronorite sequence closely matches estimates of lower crustal compositions. Since the mafic sequence originated from a primary, high Mg# (> 0.7) basaltic arc magma, differentiation of such high Mg# magmas within km-scale isolated melt conduits may explain the "Mg#-gap" between bulk estimates of the continental crust and primary basaltic magmas, a major paradox in the andesite model of crust formation.

The Magmatic Structure of Mt. Vesuvius: Isotopic and Thermal Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Civetta, L.; D'Antonio, M.; de Lorenzo, S.; Gasparini, P.

2002-12-01

Mt. Vesuvius is an active volcano famous for the AD 79 eruption that destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae. Because of the intense urbanization around and on the volcano, the risk today is very high. Therefore, the knowledge of the structure and behavior of the magmatic system is fundamental both for the interpretation of any change in the dynamics of the volcano and for prediction of eruptions. A review of available and new isotopic data on rocks from Mt. Vesuvius, together with mineralogical and geochemical data and recent geophysical results, allow us to constrain a thermal modeling that describes history and present state of Mt. Vesuvius magmatic system. This system is formed by a "deep", complex magmatic reservoir where mantle-derived magmas arrive, stagnate and differentiate. The reservoir extends discontinuously between 10 and 20 km of depth, is hosted in densely fractured crustal rocks, where magmas and crust can interact, and has been fed more than once since 400 ka. The hypothesis of crustal contamination is favored by the high temperatures reached by crustal rocks as a consequence of repetitive intrusions of magma. From the "deep" reservoir magmas of K-basaltic to K-tephritic to K-phonotephritic composition rise to shallow depths where they stagnate at 3-5 km of depth before plinian eruptions, and through crystallization and mixing processes with the residual portion of the feeding systems, generate isotopically and geochemically layered reservoirs. Alternatively, during "open conduit" conditions deep, volatile-rich magma batches rise from the "deep" reservoir to less than 1 km of depth and mix with the crystal-rich, volatile-poor resident magma, triggering eruptions.

Cumulate xenoliths from St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles Island Arc: a window into upper crustal differentiation of mantle-derived basalts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 within the crust, lowering MgO and Cr2O3 and raising Al2O3 and CaO of residual melt due to suppression of plagioclase. Low density, hydrous basaltic and basaltic andesite melts then ascend rapidly through the crust, stalling at shallow depth upon water saturation where crystallisation of the chemically distinct cumulus phases observed in this study can occur. Deposited crystals armour the shallow magma chamber where oxygen isotope equilibration between minerals is slowly approached, before remobilisation and entrainment by later injections of magma.

A numerical simulation of magma motion, crustal deformation, and seismic radiation associated with volcanic eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nishimura, T.; Chouet, B.

2003-01-01

The finite difference method is used to calculate the magma dynamics, seismic radiation, and crustal deformation associated with a volcanic eruption. The model geometry consists of a cylindrical reservoir and narrow cylindrical conduit embedded in a homogeneous crust. We consider two models of eruption. In the first model, a lid caps the vent and the magma is overpressurized prior to the eruption. The eruption is triggered by the instantaneous removal of the lid, at which point the exit pressure becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure. In the second model, a plug at the reservoir outlet allows pressurization of only the magmatic fluid in the reservoir before the eruption. Magma transfer between the reservoir and conduit is triggered by the instantaneous removal of the plug, and the eruption occurs when the pressure at the conduit orifice exceeds the material strength of the lid capping the vent. In both models, magma dynamics are expressed by the equations of mass and momentum conservation in a compressible fluid, in which fluid expansion associated with depressurization is accounted for by a constitutive law relating pressure and density. Crustal motions are calculated from the equations of elastodynamics. The fluid and solid are dynamically coupled by applying the continuity of wall velocities and normal stresses across the conduit and reservoir boundaries. Free slip is allowed at the fluid-solid boundary. Both models predict the gradual depletion of the magma reservoir, which causes crustal deformation observed as a long-duration dilatational signal. Superimposed on this very-long-period (VLP) signal generated by mass transport are long-period (LP) oscillations of the magma reservoir and conduit excited by the acoustic resonance of the reservoir-conduit system during the eruption. The volume of the reservoir, vent size, and magma properties control the duration of VLP waves and dominant periods of LP oscillations. The second model predicts that when the magmatic fluid reaches the vent, a high-pressure pulse occurs at this location in accordance with the basic theory of compressible fluid dynamics. This abrupt pressure increase just beneath the vent is consistent with observed seismograms in which pulse-like Rayleigh waves excited by a shallow source are dominant. The strength of the lid plays an important role in the character of the seismograms and in defining the type of eruption observed.

Three-dimensional crust and mantle structure of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ellsworth, W.L.; Koyanagi, R.Y.

1977-11-10

Teleseismic P wave arrival times recorded by a dense network of seismograph stations located on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, are inverted to determine lateral variation in crust and upper mantle structure to a depth of 70 km. The crustal structure is dominated by relatively high velocities within the central summit complex and along the two radial rift zones compared with the nonrift flank of the volcano. Both the mean crustal velocity contrast between summit and nonrift flank and the distribution of velocities agree well with results from crustal refraction studies. Comparison of the velocity structure with Bouguer gravity anomalies over themore » volcano through a simple physical model also gives excellent agreement. Mantle structure appears to be more homogeneous than crustal structure. The root mean square velocity variation for the mantle averages only 1.5%, whereas variation within the crust exceeds 4%. The summit of Kilauea is underlain by normal velocity (8.1 km/s) material within the uppermost mantle (12--25 km), suggesting that large magma storage reservoirs are not present at this level and that the passageways from deeper sources must be quite narrow. No evidence is found for substantial volumes of partially molten rock (5%) within the mantle to depths of at least 40 km. Below about 30 km, low-velocity zones (1--2%) underlie the summits of Kilauea and nearby Mauna Loa and extend south of Kilauea into a broad offshore zone. Correlation of volcanic tremor source locations and persistent zones of mantle earthquakes with low-velocity mantle between 27.5- and 42.5-km depth suggests that a laterally extensive conduit system feeds magma to the volcanic summits from sources either at comparable depth or deeper within the mantle. The center of contemporary magmatic production and/or upwelling from deeper in the mantle appears to extend well to the south of the active volcanic summits, suggesting that the Hawaiian Island chain is actively extending to the southeast.« less

Fractionation products of basaltic komatiite magmas at lower crustal pressures: implications for genesis of silicic magmas in the Archean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandler, B. E.; Grove, T. L.

2015-12-01

Hypotheses for the origin of crustal silicic magmas include both partial melting of basalts and fractional crystallization of mantle-derived melts[1]. Both are recognized as important processes in modern environments. When it comes to Archean rocks, however, partial melting hypotheses dominate the literature. Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG)-type silicic magmas, ubiquitous in the Archean, are widely thought to be produced by partial melting of subducted, delaminated or otherwise deeply buried hydrated basalts[2]. The potential for a fractional crystallization origin for TTG-type magmas remains largely unexplored. To rectify this asymmetry in approaches to modern vs. ancient rocks, we have performed experiments at high pressures and temperatures to closely simulate fractional crystallization of a basaltic komatiite magma in the lowermost crust. These represent the first experimental determinations of the fractionation products of komatiite-type magmas at elevated pressures. The aim is to test the possibility of a genetic link between basaltic komatiites and TTGs, which are both magmas found predominantly in Archean terranes and less so in modern environments. We will present the 12-kbar fractionation paths of both Al-depleted and Al-undepleted basaltic komatiite magmas, and discuss their implications for the relative importance of magmatic fractionation vs. partial melting in producing more evolved, silicic magmas in the Archean. [1] Annen et al., J. Petrol., 47, 505-539, 2006. [2] Moyen J-F. & Martin H., Lithos, 148, 312-336, 2012.

Regional implications of heat flow of the Snake River Plain, Northwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackwell, D. D.

1989-08-01

The Snake River Plain is a major topographic feature of the Northwestern United States. It marks the track of an upper mantle and crustal melting event that propagated across the area from southwest to northeast at a velocity of about 3.5 cm/yr. The melting event has the same energetics as a large oceanic hotspot or plume and so the area is the continental analog of an oceanic hotspot track such as the Hawaiian Island-Emperor Seamount chain. Thus, the unique features of the area reflect the response of a continental lithosphere to a very energetic hotspot. The crust is extensively modified by basalt magma emplacement into the crust and by the resulting massive rhyolite volcanism from melted crustal material, presently occurring at Yellowstone National Park. The volcanism is associated with little crustal extension. Heat flow values are high along the margins of the Eastern and Western Snake River Plains and there is abundant evidence for low-grade geothermal resources associated with regional groundwater systems. The regional heat flow pattern in the Western Snake River Plains reflects the influence of crustal-scale thermal refraction associated with the large sedimentary basin that has formed there. Heat flow values in shallow holes in the Eastern Snake River Plains are low due to the Snake River Plains aquifer, an extensive basalt aquifer where water flow rates approach 1 km/yr. Below the aquifer, conductive heat flow values are about 100 mW m -2. Deep holes in the region suggest a systematic eastward increase in heat flow in the Snake River Plains from about 75-90 mW m -2 to 90-110 mW m -2. Temperatures in the upper crust do not behave similarly because the thermal conductivity of the Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary rocks in the west is lower than that in the volcanic rocks characteristic of the Eastern Snake River Plains. Extremely high heat loss values (averaging 2500 mW m -2) and upper crustal temperatures are characteristic of the Yellowstone caldera.

Sulphur-Rich Melt At Upper Crustal Levels At Cerro La Torta, Central Andes: Evidence From Melt Inclusions Assemblages.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannatelli, C.; Godoy, B.; Alvear, B.; Moncada, D.

2016-12-01

Central Andes present some of the biggest and most important porphyry copper ore deposits in the world. Porphyry copper ore formation is related to precipitation of ore minerals from sulphur and chlorine-rich fluids. Genesis of these deposits occurred 4 km below surface, while mineralized fluids are released by magmatic melts located between 5 and 15 km depth (Sillitoe, 2010). Cerro La Torta is part of a cluster of <105 ka rhyodacitic domes related to the waning stage of the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex at Central Andes (Tierney et al., 2016). These domes reflect a crystal-rich mush layer at the upper crust - named Altiplano-Puna Magma Body (APMB) - which is proposed to be a voluminous partially molten body locate at shallow depth (4-25 km), with a thickness up to 11 km (Ward et al., 2014). Cerro La Torta is a crystal-rich ( 40% vol.) dacitic flow with plagioclase, amphibole, biotite, and quartz phenocrysts on a glassy (up to 50% vol.) groundmass. During detailed petrographic observation, two types of Melt Inclusions Assemblages (MIAs) were observed in the plagioclase. Group I is found in the core of crystals, and contains sulphide, pyrite ± bubbles. Group II of bubble-bearing MIAs is observed at the rim of the phenocrysts, with no associated sulphide mineral present. Melt Inclusions size ranges from 10-40 µm, suggesting an intermediate cooling rate (Roedder 1979). Out hypothesis is that during cooling, Group I MIA is trapped as result of a metal sulfur-rich event, leading to the suggestion that sulphide-bearing MIAs from Cerro La Torta are the evidence of mineralized magmas ponding at shallow crustal levels. Furthermore, the presence of MIAs in the mush-type magmas related to the APMB implies that such systems are suitable to porphyry copper ore generation. Roedder, 1979. The Evolution of the Igneous Rocks. 15-57 Sillitoe, 2010. Econ. Geol. 105:3-41 Tierney et al., 2016. Geology 44:683-686. doi:10.1130/G37968.1Ward et al., 2014. Earth Planet Sci Letters 404:43-54

Insights into the petrogenesis of low- and high-Ti basalts: Stratigraphy and geochemistry of four lava sequences from the central Paraná basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Min, Angelo; Callegaro, Sara; Marzoli, Andrea; Nardy, Antonio J.; Chiaradia, Massimo; Marques, Leila S.; Gabbarrini, Ilaria

2018-04-01

Lava flow sequences were sampled in the central part of the Paraná basin aiming to verify the time-related evolution of the Paraná basaltic magmatism. It is shown that low- and high-Ti basalts were erupted synchronously. In particular, Esmeralda and Pitanga flows are interlayered, with the former prevailing in the upper part of the sequence. Evidence for synchronously active magma plumbing systems is also supported by mineralogical data, showing signs of mixing between the two groups. Geochemical data, including Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions are furthermore used to define the mantle source of various low- (Esmeralda and Gramado) and high-Ti (Pitanga and Urubici) magma types. Involvement of a carbonatitic component is proposed for the genesis of the basalts (particularly for the Urubici ones) as suggested by trace element enrichments unrelated to significant isotopic variations. This carbonatitic signature of the mantle source may be conveyed by CO2-rich metasomatic fluids or melts percolating upwards within the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) leading to rapid and selective enrichment of incompatible trace elements. Metasomatism was probably localized at the outskirts of the basin, were Urubici tholeiites and contemporaneous carbonatites were erupted. Geochemical data also suggest the occurrence of significant amounts of crustal contamination in the LTi magmas (mainly in the Gramado and in the late Esmeralda lavas) while crustal assimilation seems negligible in the HTi samples. Globally, a very complex picture arises for the genesis of the Paraná tholeiites, with near-synchronous and geographically coincident flows undergoing significantly different extents of interaction with the crust and tapping different mantle sources.

Time evolution of a rifted continental arc: Integrated ID-TIMS and LA-ICPMS study of magmatic zircons from the Eastern Srednogorie, Bulgaria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiev, S.; von Quadt, A.; Heinrich, C. A.; Peytcheva, I.; Marchev, P.

2012-12-01

Eastern Srednogorie in Bulgaria is the widest segment of an extensive magmatic arc that formed by convergence of Africa and Europe during Mesozoic to Tertiary times. Northward subduction of the Tethys Ocean beneath Europe in the Late Cretaceous gave rise to a broad range of basaltic to more evolved magmas with locally associated Cu-Au mineralization along this arc. We used U-Pb geochronology of single zircons to constrain the temporal evolution of the Upper Cretaceous magmatism and the age of basement rocks through which the magmas were emplaced in this arc segment. High precision isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) was combined with laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) for spatial resolution within single zircon grains. Three tectono-magmatic regions are distinguished from north to south within Eastern Srednogorie: East Balkan, Yambol-Burgas and Strandzha. Late Cretaceous magmatic activity started at ~ 92 Ma in the northernmost East Balkan region, based on stratigraphic evidence and limited geochronology, with the emplacement of minor shallow intrusions and volcanic rocks onto pre-Cretaceous basement. In the southernmost Strandzha region, magmatism was initiated at ~ 86 Ma with emplacement of gabbroic to dioritic intrusions and related dikes into metamorphic basement rocks that have previously been overprinted by Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous metamorphism. The Yambol-Burgas region is an extensional basin between the East Balkan and the Strandzha regions, which broadens and deepens toward the Black Sea further east and is filled with a thick pile of marine sediments and submarine extrusive volcanic rocks accompanied by coeval intrusions. This dominantly mafic magmatism in the intermediate Yambol-Burgas region commenced at ~ 81 Ma and produced large volumes of potassium-rich magma until ~ 78 Ma. These shoshonitic to ultrapotassic basaltic to intermediate magmas formed by differentiation of ankaramitic (high Ca) parental melts, produced from partial remelting of amphibole clinopyroxenites upon interaction with subduction-modified mantle wedge melts, according to earlier petrological studies. This peak of dominantly extrusive activity in the Yambol-Burgas region extended into the Strandzha region further south, in the form of numerous tholeiitic, calc-alkaline and high-K intrusions emplaced in the same time period between 81 and 78 Ma. Granitic rocks from exposed basement of Eastern Srednogorie zone are dated as Permian/Carboniferous (~ 275-300 Ma). Zircons with similar ages occur in Upper Cretaceous rocks from the East Balkan and Strandzha regions, indicating local incorporation as xenocrysts. In contrast, magmatic rocks from the intermediate Yambol-Burgas region contain mostly Ordovician (~ 460 Ma) or older inherited zircons, suggesting a either a different basement history or, more likely, a different level of magma storage and crustal assimilation. Integrating these geochronological results with a synthesis of the regional geology, we propose a two-stage geodynamic evolution for the Eastern Srednogorie segment of the Tethyan arc. The earlier stage of normal arc magmatism was driven by a southward slab retreat, which formed the ~ 92 Ma calc-alkaline to high-K shallow intrusions and volcanics in the north (East Balkan), 87-86 Ma old tholeiitic and calc-alkaline intrusions in the south (Strandzha), and the voluminous 81-78 Ma old gabbroic to granitic intrusions with predominantly calc-alkaline to high-K composition throughout the Strandzha region. This stage continued westward into the Central Srednogorie zone, where the southward younging of calc-alkaline magmatism correlates well with an increased input of primitive mantle melts, indicating asthenospheric incursion into a widening mantle wedge as a result of slab roll-back. The second stage proceeded in the Eastern Srednogorie zone only, where more extreme extension associated with the opening of the Black Sea back-arc basin led to the formation of an intra-arc rift in the Yambol-Burgas region, which now separates the East Balkan region from the Strandzha region. In this extensional environment, crustal thinning lead to decompression and increased heat flow, facilitating large-scale melting of lower crustal rocks and the formation of 81-78 Ma magmas. The unusual calcic composition of the parent magmas, their isotopic character and distinct xenocrystic population are consistent with a component of re-melting of hydrous lower-crustal cumulates, which probably formed in part during the first stage of the evolving arc.

Fe isotopes and the contrasting petrogenesis of A-, I- and S-type granite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foden, John; Sossi, Paolo A.; Wawryk, Christine M.

2015-01-01

We present new Fe isotope data of 42 S-, I- and A-type (ferroan) granites from the Cambrian Delamerian orogen in South Australia, the Palaeozoic Lachlan Fold Belt and Western USA. Interpretation of these data, together with modelling suggests that magmatic processes do result in quite complex Fe-isotopic differentiation trends and can lead to granites with isotopically heavy iron with δ57Fe > 0.35‰. By comparison Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts (MORBs) have δ57Fe = 0.15‰ (Teng et al., 2013). These variations are similar to those previously reported (Poitrasson and Freydier, 2005; Heimann et al., 2008; Telus et al., 2012), but, contrary to some interpretations (Beard and Johnson, 2006; Heimann et al., 2008), heavy values are not necessarily the product of late-stage hydrothermal fluid loss, though this process is undoubtedly also an important factor in some circumstances. A-type (ferroan) granites reach very heavy δ57Fe values (0.4-0.5‰) whereas I-types are systematically lighter (δ57Fe = 0.2‰). S-type granites show a range of intermediate values, but also tend to be isotopically heavy (δ57Fe ≈ 0.2-0.4‰). Our results show that the iron isotopic values and trends are signatures that reflect granite generation processes. A modelling using the Rhyolite-MELTS software suggests that contrasting trajectories and end-points in Fe isotope evolution towards granite depend on: oxidation state of the evolving magma and, whether or not the system is oxygen-buffered. Iron isotopic evolution supports an origin of ferroan A-type granite from protracted, closed magma chamber fractionation of moderately reduced mafic magmas. In these systems magnetite saturation is delayed and the ferric iron budget is finite. I-type systems originate with the supply of relatively oxidised, hydrous, subduction-related magmas from the mantle wedge to the upper plate crust. These then experience oxygen-buffered open-system AFC processes in lower crustal hot-zones. S-type magmas are crustal melts that crystallise under reduced conditions initially imposed at source by sulphidic or graphitic sedimentary protoliths. The composition of the resulting melts reflects the domination of partial melting where conditions are hence buffered (open system) followed by subsequent late-stage, closed system fractionation of these extracted, reduced magmas.

Yellowstone Hotspot Geodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. B.; Farrell, J.; Massin, F.; Chang, W.; Puskas, C. M.; Steinberger, B. M.; Husen, S.

2012-12-01

The Yellowstone hotspot results from the interaction of a mantle plume with the overriding N. America plate producing a ~300-m high topographic swell centered on the Late Quaternary Yellowstone volcanic field. The Yellowstone area is dominated by earthquake swarms including a deadly M7.3 earthquake, extraordinary high heat flow up to ~40,000 mWm-2, and unprecedented episodes of crustal deformation. Seismic tomography and gravity data reveal a crustal magma reservoir, 6 to 15 km deep beneath the Yellowstone caldera but extending laterally ~20 km NE of the caldera and is ~30% larger than previously hypothesized. Kinematically, deformation of Yellowstone is dominated by regional crustal extension at up to ~0.4 cm/yr but with superimposed decadal-scale uplift and subsidence episodes, averaging ~2 cm/yr from 1923. From 2004 to 2009 Yellowstone experienced an accelerated uplift episode of up to 7 cm/yr whose source is modeled as magmatic recharge of a sill at the top of the crustal magma reservoir at 8-10-km depth. New mantle tomography suggest that Yellowstone volcanism is fed by an upper-mantle plume-shaped low velocity body that is composed of melt "blobs", extending from 80 km to 650 km in depth, tilting 60° NW, but then reversing tilt to ~60° SE to a depth of ~1500 km. Moreover, images of upper mantle conductivity from inversion of MT data reveal a high conductivity annulus around the north side of the plume in the upper mantle to resolved depths of ~300 km. On a larger scale, upper mantle flow beneath the western U.S. is characterized by eastward flow beneath Yellowstone at 5 cm/yr that deflects the plume to the west, and is underlain by a deeper zone of westerly return flow in the lower mantle reversing the deflection of the plume body to the SE. Dynamic modeling of the Yellowstone plume including a +15 m geoid anomaly reveals low excess plume temperatures, up to 150°K, consistent with a weak buoyancy flux of ~0.25 Mg/s. Integrated kinematic modeling of GPS, Quaternary fault slip, and seismic data suggest that the gravitational potential of the Yellowstone swell creates a regional extension affecting much of the western U.S. Overall, the Yellowstone hotspot swell is the vertex of tensional stress axes rotation from E-W in the Basin-Range to NE-SW at the Yellowstone Plateau as well as the cause of edge faulting, nucleating the nearby Teton and Centennial faults. We extrapolate the original location of the Yellowstone mantle-source southwestward 800 km to an initial position at 17 million years ago beneath eastern Oregon and Washington suggesting a common origin for the YSRP and Columbia Plateau volcanism. We propose that the original plume head ascended vertically behind the subducting Juan de Fuca plate, but was entrained ~12 Ma ago in a faster mantle flow beneath the continental lithosphere and tilted into its present configuration.

Magmatic Longevity Constrained by ID-TIMS U-Pb Dating of Zircon and Titanite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szymanowski, D.; Wotzlaw, J. F.; Ellis, B. S.; Bachmann, O.; Von Quadt, A.

2016-12-01

Clues about the timescales and thermal conditions associated with the growth and evacuation of large silicic magma reservoirs are frequently drawn from radiometric dating, diffusion modelling, or thermomechanical modelling. A growing amount of petrological and geochronological evidence, supported by thermal modelling, suggests that many silicic magma reservoirs may exist for some 104-106 years in the form of high-crystallinity mushes at relatively low temperatures ( 700-750°C; [1-3]). Geochronological studies addressing this issue typically utilise the U-Pb system in zircon capable of recording extended periods of crystallisation, particularly in evolved calc-alkaline systems that spend most of their lifetime zircon-saturated. In this study, we integrate U-Pb dating of zircon and titanite to investigate the longevity of the magma reservoir that produced the Kneeling Nun Tuff, a 35 Ma, >900 km3 crystal-rich rhyolitic super-eruption from the Mogollon-Datil volcanic field in New Mexico (USA). High-precision ID-TIMS U-Pb dates of single crystals of both zircon and titanite independently record a continuous crystallisation history over >400,000 years. We combine the dating of both accessory phases with textural, major, trace element and isotopic studies of single crystals, placing tight constraints on the thermal conditions of magma accumulation and storage while recording differentiation and rejuvenation processes within the magma reservoir. The results suggest a protracted `cool' upper-crustal storage of magma prior to the Kneeling Nun Tuff eruption followed by a melting event which reduced the magma crystallinity and conditioned it for eruption. [1] Bachmann & Bergantz (2004), J. Petrol. 45, 1565-1582. [2] Gelman et al. (2013), Geology 41, 759-762. [3] Cooper & Kent (2014), Nature 506, 480-483.

Permanent uplift in magmatic systems with application to the Tharsis region of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, R. J.; Sleep, N. H.; Banerdt, W. B.

1990-04-01

A model is derived for predicting both crustal displacement (leading to permanent uplift) and topographic elevation in regional large-scale magmatic systems associated with partial melting of mantle rocks. The model is then applied to the Tharsis region of Mars to test the uplift versus construction. It was found that a lower bound estimate of the fraction of intrusives necessary for any uplift at all is about 85 percent of the total magmatic products at Tharsis. Thus, it is proposed that most of the magmas associated with Tharsis evolution ended up as intrusive bodies in the crust and upper mantle.

Permanent uplift in magmatic systems with application to the Tharsis region of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, Roger J.; Sleep, Norman H.; Banerdt, W. Bruce

1990-01-01

A model is derived for predicting both crustal displacement (leading to permanent uplift) and topographic elevation in regional large-scale magmatic systems associated with partial melting of mantle rocks. The model is then applied to the Tharsis region of Mars to test the uplift versus construction. It was found that a lower bound estimate of the fraction of intrusives necessary for any uplift at all is about 85 percent of the total magmatic products at Tharsis. Thus, it is proposed that most of the magmas associated with Tharsis evolution ended up as intrusive bodies in the crust and upper mantle.

Erupted frothy xenoliths may explain lack of country-rock fragments in plutons

PubMed Central

Burchardt, Steffi; Troll, Valentin R.; Schmeling, Harro; Koyi, Hemin; Blythe, Lara

2016-01-01

Magmatic stoping is discussed to be a main mechanism of magma emplacement. As a consequence of stoping, abundant country-rock fragments should occur within, and at the bottom of, magma reservoirs as “xenolith graveyards”, or become assimilated. However, the common absence of sufficient amounts of both xenoliths and crustal contamination have led to intense controversy about the efficiency of stoping. Here, we present new evidence that may explain the absence of abundant country-rock fragments in plutons. We report on vesiculated crustal xenoliths in volcanic rocks that experienced devolatilisation during heating and partial melting when entrained in magma. We hypothesise that the consequential inflation and density decrease of the xenoliths allowed them to rise and become erupted instead of being preserved in the plutonic record. Our thermomechanical simulations of this process demonstrate that early-stage xenolith sinking can be followed by the rise of a heated, partially-molten xenolith towards the top of the reservoir. There, remnants may disintegrate and mix with resident magma or erupt. Shallow-crustal plutons emplaced into hydrous country rocks may therefore not necessarily contain evidence of the true amount of magmatic stoping during their emplacement. Further studies are needed to quantify the importance of frothy xenolith in removing stoped material. PMID:27804996

Insights into Along Strike Variability in the Lau Back Spreading Center and Tonga Arc from Bodywave Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, A. N.; Wiens, D.; Barklage, M.; Conder, J. A.; Wei, S. S.; Cai, C.

2016-12-01

The Lau Backarc Spreading Center (LBSC) and the Tonga Arc offer an excellent location to study the complex interactions between magma production in subduction arcs and backarcs. Although the LBSC is often considered to be an archetype of backarc spreading centers, the system exhibits major along strike changes in surficial and subsurface characteristics - including rift morphology, spreading and subduction rates, rift-arc separation, magma production, and crustal thickness. These variations, together with geochemical evidence, suggest that mixing of arc and backarc magmas may occur at depth beneath the southern LBSC, where the backarc spreading center and the Tonga Arc are most proximal. To investigate magma production and transport beneath the LBSC and the Tonga Arc, this study jointly inverts arrivals from local and teleseismic earthquakes at 51 OBS and 16 land stations to create P- and S-wave upper mantle velocity models. Results from this study show that low velocity zones associated with the LBSC and Tonga Arc are distinctly separated in the north, but merge to a single low velocity zone in the south, supporting prior geochemical evidence for a common source of arc and backarc magmas in the south. Low velocities beneath the LBSC tilt westward with depth, consistent with predictions from numerical models for asymmetrical melting in the mantle wedge. Beneath the central LBSC, low velocities extend to depths of 300 km, suggesting a deep source for melt in some regions.

Experimental simulation of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolis, E. M.; Freda, C.; Troll, V. R.; Deegan, F. M.; Blythe, L. S.; McLeod, C. L.; Davidson, J. P.

2013-11-01

We simulated the process of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius in short duration piston-cylinder experiments under controlled magmatic conditions (from 0 to 300 s at 0.5 GPa and 1,200 °C), using a Vesuvius shoshonite composition and upper crustal limestone and dolostone as starting materials. Backscattered electron images and chemical analysis (major and trace elements and Sr isotopes) of sequential experimental products allow us to identify the textural and chemical evolution of carbonated products during the assimilation process. We demonstrate that melt-carbonate interaction can be extremely fast (minutes), and results in dynamic contamination of the host melt with respect to Ca, Mg and 87Sr/86Sr, coupled with intense CO2 vesiculation at the melt-carbonate interface. Binary mixing between carbonate and uncontaminated melt cannot explain the geochemical variations of the experimental charges in full and convection and diffusion likely also operated in the charges. Physical mixing and mingling driven by exsolving volatiles seems to be a key process to promote melt homogenisation. Our results reinforce hypotheses that magma-carbonate interaction is a relevant and ongoing process at Mt. Vesuvius and one that may operate not only on a geological, but on a human timescale.

Very early Archean crustal-accretion complexes preserved in the North Atlantic craton

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nutman, A.P.; Collerson, K.D.

1991-08-01

The North Atlantic craton contains very early Archean supracrustal rocks, orthogneisses, and massive ultramafic rocks. Most units of supracrustal rocks are dominated by mafic volcanic rocks, layered gabbros, and banded iron formations, bust some also contain abundant felsic volcanic-sedimentary rocks, quartzites, and marbles. Some quartzites contain detrital zircons derived from rocks identical in age to felsic volcanic-sedimentary rocks in these sequences (ca. 3800 Ma) and also from older (ca. 3850 Ma) sources. The presence of the ca. 3850 Ma detrital zircons suggests that the supracrustal units containing them were deposited on, or close to, ca. 3850 Ma sialic crust. Themore » massive ultramafic rocks have chemical affinities to upper mantle rocks. The voluminous suites of tonalitic gneisses are dominated by 3700-3730 Ma bodies that intrude the supracrustal sequences, but they also locally contain components with ages between 3820 and 3920 Ma. The diverse supracrustal units, upper mantle rocks, and {ge} 3820 Ma components in the gneisses were tectonically interleaved in very early Archean convergent plate boundaries, giving rise to accretion complexes. In the period 3700-3730 Ma, voluminous tonalitic magmas produced by partial melting of predominantly mafic rocks in the base of the accretion complexes were emplaced at higher levels, forming juvenile continental crust and leaving behind a refractory lower crustal to upper mantle substrate.« less

Magmatic differentiation processes at Merapi Volcano: inclusion petrology and oxygen isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troll, Valentin R.; Deegan, Frances M.; Jolis, Ester M.; Harris, Chris; Chadwick, Jane P.; Gertisser, Ralf; Schwarzkopf, Lothar M.; Borisova, Anastassia Y.; Bindeman, Ilya N.; Sumarti, Sri; Preece, Katie

2013-07-01

Indonesian volcano Merapi is one of the most hazardous volcanoes on the planet and is characterised by periods of active dome growth and intermittent explosive events. Merapi currently degasses continuously through high temperature fumaroles and erupts basaltic-andesite dome lavas and associated block-and-ash-flows that carry a large range of magmatic, coarsely crystalline plutonic, and meta-sedimentary inclusions. These inclusions are useful in order to evaluate magmatic processes that act within Merapi's plumbing system, and to help an assessment of which phenomena could trigger explosive eruptions. With the aid of petrological, textural, and oxygen isotope analysis we record a range of processes during crustal magma storage and transport, including mafic recharge, magma mixing, crystal fractionation, and country rock assimilation. Notably, abundant calc-silicate inclusions (true xenoliths) and elevated δ18O values in feldspar phenocrysts from 1994, 1998, 2006, and 2010 Merapi lavas suggest addition of limestone and calc-silicate materials to the Merapi magmas. Together with high δ13C values in fumarole gas, crustal additions to mantle and slab-derived magma and volatile sources are likely a steady state process at Merapi. This late crustal input could well represent an eruption trigger due to sudden over-pressurisation of the shallowest parts of the magma storage system independently of magmatic recharge and crystal fractionation. Limited seismic precursors may be associated with this type of eruption trigger, offering a potential explanation for the sometimes erratic behaviour of Merapi during volcanic crises.

Origin of hybrid ferrolatite lavas from Magic Reservoir eruptive center, Snake River Plain, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honjo, Norio; Leeman, William P.

1987-06-01

The mineralogy and geochemical characteristics of intermediate composition ferrolatites and related lavas from the Magic Reservoir eruptive center (central Snake River Plain) have been investigated to evaluate the origin and petrologic significance of these hybrid lavas. The ferrolatites are chemically uniform, but contain a disequilibrium phenocryst/xenocryst assemblage derived in part from mixed rhyolitic and basaltic magmas that are closely represented by extrusive units in the area. The hybrid lavas also contain xenoliths of Archean granulites and have high 87Sr/ 86Sr and low 143Nd/144Nd ratios, all of which suggest significant magma-crust interaction. Quantitative models including magma mixing, minor crystal fractionation, and crustal contamination very closely reproduce the observed compositions of these ferrolatites; closed system fractionation and (or) simple bulk contamination models are not as successful and can be ruled out. It appears that preexisting mafic and silicic magmas from distinct sources (e.g., mantle and crust) encounter one another in crustal-level magma chambers under conditions where intimate mixing may occur despite wide differences in the physical properties of these liquids.

Constraining the Size and Depth of a Shallow Crustal Magma Body at Newberry Volcano Using P-Wave Tomography and Finite-Difference Waveform Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beachly, M. W.; Hooft, E. E.; Toomey, D. R.; Waite, G. P.

2011-12-01

Imaging magmatic systems improves our understanding of magma ascent and storage in the crust and contributes to hazard assessment. Seismic tomography reveals crustal magma bodies as regions of low velocity; however the ability of delay-time tomography to detect small, low-velocity bodies is limited by wavefront healing. Alternatively, crustal magma chambers have been identified from secondary phases including P and S wave reflections and conversions. We use a combination of P-wave tomography and finite-difference waveform modeling to characterize a shallow crustal magma body at Newberry Volcano, central Oregon. Newberry's eruptions are silicic within the central caldera and mafic on its periphery suggesting a central silicic magma storage system. The system may still be active with a recent eruption ~1300 years ago and a drill hole temperature of 256° C at only 932 m depth. A low-velocity anomaly previously imaged at 3-5 km beneath the caldera indicates either a magma body or a fractured pluton. With the goal of detecting secondary arrivals from a magma chamber beneath Newberry Volcano, we deployed a line of densely-spaced (~300 m), three-component seismometers that recorded a shot of opportunity from the High Lava Plains Experiment in 2008. The data record a secondary P-wave arrival originating from beneath the caldera. In addition we combine travel-time data from our 2008 experiment with data collected in the 1980's by the USGS for a P-wave tomography inversion to image velocity structure to 6 km depth. The inversion includes 16 active sources, 322 receivers and 1007 P-wave first arrivals. The tomography results reveal a high-velocity, ring-like anomaly beneath the caldera ring faults to 2 km depth that surrounds a shallow low-velocity region. Beneath 2.5 km high-velocity anomalies are concentrated east and west of the caldera. A central low-velocity body lies below 3 km depth. Tomographic inversions of synthetic data suggest that the central low-velocity body beneath 3 km depth is not well resolved and that, for example, an unrealistically large low-velocity body with a volume up to 72 km3 at 40% velocity reduction (representing 30±7% partial melt) could be consistent with the observed travel-times. We use the tomographically derived velocity structure to construct 2D finite difference models and include synthetic low-velocity bodies in these models to test various magma chamber geometries and melt contents. Waveform modeling identifies the observed secondary phase as a transmitted P-wave formed by delaying and focusing P-wave energy through the low-velocity region. We will further constrain the size and shape of the low-velocity region by comparing arrival times and amplitudes of observed and synthetic primary and secondary phases. Secondary arrivals provide compelling evidence for an active crustal magmatic system beneath Newberry volcano and demonstrate the ability of waveform modeling to constrain the nature of magma bodies beyond the limits of seismic tomography.

Late Neoproterozoic to Carboniferous genesis of A-type magmas in Avalonia of northern Nova Scotia: repeated partial melting of anhydrous lower crust in contrasting tectonic environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, J. Brendan; Shellnutt, J. Gregory; Collins, William J.

2018-03-01

Avalonian rocks in northern mainland Nova Scotia are characterized by voluminous 640-600 Ma calc-alkalic to tholeiitic mafic to felsic magmas produced in a volcanic arc. However, after the cessation of arc activity, repeated episodes of felsic magmatism between ca. 580 Ma and 350 Ma are dominated by A-type geochemical characteristics. Sm-Nd isotopic data, combined with zircon saturation temperature estimates, indicate that these magmas were formed by high temperature (800-1050 °C) melting of the same anhydrous crustal source. Regional tectonic considerations indicate that A-type felsic magmatism was produced (1) at 580 Ma in a San Andreas-type strike slip setting, (2) at 495 Ma as Avalonia rifted off Gondwana, (3) at 465 and 455 in an ensialic island arc environment and (4) at 360-350 Ma during post-collisional, intra-continental strike-slip activity as Avalonia was translated dextrally along the Laurentian margin. These results attest to the importance of crustal source, rather than tectonic setting, in the generation of these A-type magmas and are an example of how additional insights are provided by comparing the geochemical and isotopic characteristics of igneous suites of different ages within the same terrane. They also suggest that the shallow crustal rocks in northern mainland Nova Scotia were not significantly detached from their lower crustal source between ca. 620 Ma and 350 Ma, a time interval that includes the separation of Avalonia from Gondwana, its drift and accretion to Laurentia as well as post-accretionary strike-slip displacement.

Sr-Nd-Hf-O isotope geochemistry of the Ertaibei pluton, East Junggar, NW China: Implications for development of a crustal-scale granitoid pluton and crustal growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Gong-Jian; Wang, Qiang; Zhang, Chunfu; Wyman, Derek A.; Dan, Wei; Xia, Xiao-Ping; Chen, Hong-Yi; Zhao, Zhen-Hua

2017-09-01

To better understand the compositional diversity of plutonic complexes and crustal growth of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), we conducted an integrated study of the Ertaibei pluton, which obtained geochronological, petrological, geochemical, and isotopic (including whole rock Sr-Nd, in situ zircon Hf-O) data. The pluton (ca. 300 Ma) is composed of granodiorites that contain mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs), dolerite dikes, and granite dikes containing quartz-tourmaline orbicules. The dolerite dikes were possibly generated by melting of an asthenospheric mantle source, with discrete assimilation of lower crustal components in the MASH (melting, assimilation, storage, and homogenization) zone. The MMEs originated from hybridization between mantle and crust-derived magmas, which spanned a range of melting depths (˜25-30 km) in the MASH zone and were episodically tapped. Melting of the basaltic lower crust in the core of the MASH zone generated magmas to form the granodiorites. The granite dikes originated from melting of an arc-derived volcanogenic sedimentary source with a minor underplated basaltic source in the roof of the MASH zone (˜25 km). The compositional diversity reflects both the magma sources and the degree of maturation of the MASH zone. Although having mantle-like radiogenic isotope compositions, the Ertaibei and other postcollisional granitoids show high zircon δ18O values (mostly between +6 and +9‰), indicating a negligible contribution to the CAOB crustal growth during the postcollisional period.

Using rocks to reveal the inner workings of magma chambers below volcanoes in Alaska’s National Parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coombs, Michelle L.; Bacon, Charles R.

2012-01-01

Alaska is one of the most vigorously volcanic regions on the planet, and Alaska’s national parks are home to many of the state’s most active volcanoes. These pose both local and more distant hazards in the form of lava and pyroclastic flows, lahars (mudflows), ash clouds, and ash fall. Alaska’s volcanoes lie along the arc of the Aleutian-Alaskan subduction zone, caused as the oceanic Pacific plate moves northward and dips below the North American plate. These volcanoes form as water-rich fluid from the down-going Pacific plate is released, lowering the melting temperature of rock in the overlying mantle and enabling it to partially melt. The melted rock (magma) migrates upward, collecting at the base of the approximately 25 mile (40 km) thick crust, occasionally ascending into the shallow crust, and sometimes erupting at the earth’s surface.During volcanic unrest, scientists use geophysical signals to remotely visualize volcanic processes, such as movement of magma in the upper crust. In addition, erupted volcanic rocks, which are quenched samples of magmas, can tell us about subsurface magma characteris-tics, history, and the processes that drive eruptions. The chemical compositions of and the minerals present in the erupted magmas can reveal conditions under which these magmas were stored in crustal “chambers”. Studies of the products of recent eruptions of Novarupta (1912), Aniakchak (1931), Trident (1953-74), and Redoubt (2009) volcanoes reveal the depths and temperatures of magma storage, and tell of complex interactions between magmas of different compositions. One goal of volcanology is to determine the processes that drive or trigger eruptions. Information recorded in the rocks tells us about these processes. Here, we demonstrate how geologists gain these insights through case studies from four recent eruptions of volcanoes in Alaska national parks.

Evolution of deep crustal magma structures beneath Mount Baekdu volcano (MBV) intraplate volcano in northeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhie, J.; Kim, S.; Tkalcic, H.; Baag, S. Y.

2017-12-01

Heterogeneous features of magmatic structures beneath intraplate volcanoes are attributed to interactions between the ascending magma and lithospheric structures. Here, we investigate the evolution of crustal magmatic stuructures beneath Mount Baekdu volcano (MBV), which is one of the largest continental intraplate volcanoes in northeast Asia. The result of our seismic imaging shows that the deeper Moho depth ( 40 km) and relatively higher shear wave velocities (>3.8 km/s) at middle-to-lower crustal depths beneath the volcano. In addition, the pattern at the bottom of our model shows that the lithosphere beneath the MBV is shallower (< 100 km) compared to surrounding regions. Togather with previous P-wave velocity models, we interpret the observations as a compositional double layering of mafic underplating and a overlying cooled felsic structure due to fractional crystallization of asthenosphere origin magma. To achieve enhanced vertical and horizontal model coverage, we apply two approaches in this work, including (1) a grid-search based phase velocity measurement using real-coherency of ambient noise data and (2) a transdimensional Bayesian joint inversion using multiple ambient noise dispersion data.

Fault-Magma Interactions during Early Continental Rifting: Seismicity of the Magadi-Natron-Manyara basins, Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinstein, A.; Oliva, S. J.; Ebinger, C.; Aman, M.; Lambert, C.; Roecker, S. W.; Tiberi, C.; Muirhead, J.

2017-12-01

Although magmatism may occur during the earliest stages of continental rifting, its role in strain accommodation remains weakly constrained by largely 2D studies. We analyze seismicity data from a 13-month, 39-station broadband seismic array to determine the role of magma intrusion on state-of-stress and strain localization, and their along-strike variations. Precise earthquake locations using cluster analyses and a new 3D velocity model reveal lower crustal earthquakes along projections of steep border faults that degas CO2. Seismicity forms several disks interpreted as sills at 6-10 km below a monogenetic cone field. The sills overlie a lower crustal magma chamber that may feed eruptions at Oldoinyo Lengai volcano. After determining a new ML scaling relation, we determine a b-value of 0.87 ± 0.03. Focal mechanisms for 66 earthquakes, and a longer time period of relocated earthquakes from global arrays reveal an along-axis stress rotation of 50 o ( N150 oE) in the magmatically active zone. Using Kostrov summation of local and teleseismic mechanisms, we find opening directions of N122ºE and N92ºE north and south of the magmatically active zone. The stress rotation facilitates strain transfer from border fault systems, the locus of early stage deformation, to the zone of magma intrusion in the central rift. Our seismic, structural, and geochemistry results indicate that frequent lower crustal earthquakes are promoted by elevated pore pressures from volatile degassing along border faults, and hydraulic fracture around the margins of magma bodies. Earthquakes are largely driven by stress state around inflating magma bodies, and more dike intrusions with surface faulting, eruptions, and earthquakes are expected.

Miocene silicic volcanism in southwestern Idaho: Geochronology, geochemistry, and evolution of the central Snake River Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonnichsen, B.; Leeman, W.P.; Honjo, N.; McIntosh, W.C.; Godchaux, M.M.

2008-01-01

New 40Ar-39Ar geochronology, bulk rock geochemical data, and physical characteristics for representative stratigraphic sections of rhyolite ignimbrites and lavas from the west-central Snake River Plain (SRP) are combined to develop a coherent stratigraphic framework for Miocene silicic magmatism in this part of the Yellowstone 'hotspot track'. The magmatic record differs from that in areas to the west and east with regard to its unusually large extrusive volume, broad lateral scale, and extended duration. We infer that the magmatic systems developed in response to large-scale and repeated injections of basaltic magma into the crust, resulting in significant reconstitution of large volumes of the crust, wide distribution of crustal melt zones, and complex feeder systems for individual eruptive events. Some eruptive episodes or 'events' appear to be contemporaneous with major normal faulting, and perhaps catastrophic crustal foundering, that may have triggered concurrent evacuations of separate silicic magma reservoirs. This behavior and cumulative time-composition relations are difficult to relate to simple caldera-style single-source feeder systems and imply complex temporal-spatial development of the silicic magma systems. Inferred volumes and timing of mafic magma inputs, as the driving energy source, require a significant component of lithospheric extension on NNW-trending Basin and Range style faults (i.e., roughly parallel to the SW-NE orientation of the eastern SRP). This is needed to accommodate basaltic inputs at crustal levels, and is likely to play a role in generation of those magmas. Anomalously high magma production in the SRP compared to that in adjacent areas (e.g., northern Basin and Range Province) may require additional sub-lithospheric processes. ?? Springer-Verlag 2007.

Mantle and crustal contributions to continental flood volcanism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arndt, N.T.; Czamanske, G.K.; Wooden, J.L.; Fedorenko, V.A.

1993-01-01

Arndt, N.T., Czamanske, G.K., Wooden, J.L. and Fedorenko, V.A., 1993. Mantle and crustal contributions to continental flood volcanism. In: M.J.R. Wortel, U. Hansen and R. Sabadini (Editors), Relationships between Mantle Processes and Geological Processes at or near the Earth's Surface. Tectonophysics, 223: 39-52. Most continental flood basalts are enriched in incompatible elements and have high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios and low ??{lunate}Nd values. Many are depleted in Nb and Ta. The commonly-held view that these characteristics are inherited directly from a source in metasomatized lithospheric mantle is inconsistent with the following arguments: (1) thermomechanical modelling demonstrates that flood basalt magmas come mainly from an asthenospheric or plume source, with minimal direct melting of the continental lithospheric mantle. The low water contents of most flood basalts argue against proposals that hydrous lithosphere was the source. (2) Lithospheric mantle normally has low concentrations of incompatible elements, and chondrite-normalized Nb and Ta contents similar to those of other incompatible elements. Such material cannot be the unmodified source of Nb-Ta-depleted basalts such as those from the Karoo, Ferrar, or Columbia River provinces. We suggest there are two main controls on the compositions of continental flood basalts. The first is lithospheric thickness, which strongly influences the depth and degree of mantle melting of a plume or asthenospheric source, and thus has an important influence on the composition of primary magmas. All liquids formed by partial melting of peridotite at sub-lithosphere depths are highly magnesian (20-25 wt.% MgO) but have variable trace-element contents. Where the lithosphere is thick, the source melts at high pressure, garnet is present, the degree of melting is low, and trace-element concentrations are high. This type of magma evolves to produce the high-Ti type of continental flood basalt. Where the lithosphere is thinner, the source ascends to shallower levels, the degree of melting is greater, garnet may be exhausted, and the magmas have lower trace-element contents; these magmas yield low-Ti basalts. The second control is processing of magmas in chambers that were periodically replenished and tapped, while continuously fractionating and assimilating their wall rocks. The uniform compositions of basalts that evolve in such chambers are far removed from those of their picritic parental magmas. Major elements in continental flood basalts reflect control by olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase crystallization, and this assemblage places the magma chambers at crustal depth. We believe that trace-element and isotopic compositions are also buffered, and that the erupted basalts represent steady-state liquids tapped from these magma chambers. These processes impose a crustal signature on the magmas, as expressed most strongly in the concentrations of incompatible elements (e.g., Nb-Ta anomalies) and their isotopic characteristics. ?? 1993.

Mapping the evolving strain field during continental breakup from crustal anisotropy in the Afar Depression

PubMed Central

Keir, Derek; Belachew, M.; Ebinger, C.J.; Kendall, J.-M.; Hammond, J.O.S.; Stuart, G.W.; Ayele, A.; Rowland, J.V.

2011-01-01

Rifting of the continents leading to plate rupture occurs by a combination of mechanical deformation and magma intrusion, yet the spatial and temporal scales over which these alternate mechanisms localize extensional strain remain controversial. Here we quantify anisotropy of the upper crust across the volcanically active Afar Triple Junction using shear-wave splitting from local earthquakes to evaluate the distribution and orientation of strain in a region of continental breakup. The pattern of S-wave splitting in Afar is best explained by anisotropy from deformation-related structures, with the dramatic change in splitting parameters into the rift axis from the increased density of dyke-induced faulting combined with a contribution from oriented melt pockets near volcanic centres. The lack of rift-perpendicular anisotropy in the lithosphere, and corroborating geoscientific evidence of extension dominated by dyking, provide strong evidence that magma intrusion achieves the majority of plate opening in this zone of incipient plate rupture. PMID:21505441

Constraints on the depth of generation and emplacement of a magmatic epidote-bearing quartz diorite pluton in the Coast Plutonic Complex, British Columbia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chang, J.M.; Andronicos, C.L.

2009-01-01

Petrology and P-T estimates indicate that a magmatic epidote-bearing quartz diorite pluton from Mt. Gamsby, Coast Plutonic Complex, British Columbia, was sourced at pressures below ???1.4 GPa and cooled nearly isobarically at ???0.9 GPa. The P-T path indicates that the magma was within the stability field of magmatic epidote early and remained there upon final crystallization. The pluton formed and crystallized at depths greater than ???30 km. REE data indicate that garnet was absent in the melting region and did not fractionate during crystallization. This suggests that the crust was less than or equal to ???55 km thick at 188 Ma during the early phases of magmatism in the Coast Plutonic Complex. Late Cretaceous contractional deformation and early Tertiary extension exhumed the rocks to upper crustal levels. Textures of magmatic epidote and other magmatic phases, combined with REE data, can be important for constraining the P-T path followed by magmas. ?? 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Generation of continental crust in the northern part of the Borborema Province, northeastern Brazil, from Archaean to Neoproterozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Souza, Zorano Sérgio; Kalsbeek, Feiko; Deng, Xiao-Dong; Frei, Robert; Kokfelt, Thomas Find; Dantas, Elton Luiz; Li, Jian-Wei; Pimentel, Márcio Martins; Galindo, Antonio Carlos

2016-07-01

This work deals with the origin and evolution of the magmatic rocks in the area north of the Patos Lineament in the Borborema Province (BP). This northeastern segment of NE Brazil is composed of at least six different tectonic blocks with ages varying from late-Archaean to late-Palaeoproterozoic. Archaean rocks cover ca. 5% of the region. They were emplaced over a period of 700 Ma, with at least seven events of magma generation, at 3.41, 3.36, 3.25, 3.18, 3.12, 3.03, and 2.69 Ga. The rocks are subalkaline to slightly alkaline, with affinity to I- and M-type magmas; they follow trondhjemitic or potassium calc-alkaline differentiation trends. They have epsilon Nd(t) of +1.4 to -4.2 and negative anomalies for Ta-Nb, P and Ti, consistent with a convergent tectonic setting. Both subducted oceanic crust and upper mantle (depleted or metasomatised) served as sources of the magmas. After a time lapse of about 350 m y., large-scale emplacement of Paleoproterozoic units took place. These rocks cover about 50% of the region. Their geochemistry indicates juvenile magmatism with a minor contribution from crustal sources. These rocks also exhibit potassic calc-alkaline differentiation trends, again akin to I- and M-type magmas, and show negative anomalies for Ta-Nb, Ti and P. Depleted and metasomatised mantle, resulting from interaction with adakitic or trondhjemitic melts in a subduction zone setting, is interpreted to be the main source of the magmas, predominanting over crustal recycling. U-Pb ages indicate generation of plutonic rocks at 2.24-2.22 Ga (in some places at about 2.4-2.3 Ga) and 2.13-2.11 Ga, and andesitic volcanism at 2.15 Ga. Isotopic evidence indicates juvenile magmatism (epsilon Nd(t) of +2.9 to -2.9). After a time lapse of about 200 m y. a period of within-plate magmatic activity followed, with acidic volcanism (1.79 Ga) in Orós, granitic plutonism (1.74 Ga) in the Seridó region, anorthosites (1.70 Ga) and A-type granites (1.6 Ga) in the Transverse Zone (TZ). Early Neoproterozoic volcanism at 1091 Ma, and A-type plutonism, from 920 to 775 Ma, mark the intracontinental magmatism in the TZ. In the Seridó Domain, the Late Neoproterozoic registers several events of plutonism, at 600-593, 575-560, 548-533, 528-510, 495-450 Ma. These rocks cover ca. 15% of the area, while Neoproterozoic supracrustal rocks cover ca. 30%. The most important magmatic event is that at 575 Ma, consistent with the peak of widespread transpression and synchronous high temperature metamorphism. The Neoproterozoic rocks are mostly K-enriched alkaline or transitional to calc-alkaline. Inherited Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic zircons and Nd model ages, as well as moderate to strongly negative (-21 to -9) epsilon Nd, and persistent negative anomalies for Ta-Nb, Ti and P indicate significant crustal contributions in their genesis. While a convergent setting (subduction zone) could explain the Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic units, this is not so for the Neoproterozoic rocks which mimic the geochemical and isotopic features of the older sources. In the study area, the peak of juvenile accretion (mantle derived magmas) took place in the Archaean (3.4-2.7 Ga) and Palaeproterozoic (2.4-2.11 Ga), whereas crustal recycling predominated in the Neoproterozoic.

Chemical versus temporal controls on the evolution of tholeiitic and calc-alkaline magmas at two volcanoes in the Alaska-Aleutian arc

USGS Publications Warehouse

George, R.; Turner, S.; Hawkesworth, C.; Bacon, C.R.; Nye, C.; Stelling, P.; Dreher, S.

2004-01-01

The Alaska-Aleutian island arc is well known for erupting both tholeiitic and calc-alkaline magmas. To investigate the relative roles of chemical and temporal controls in generating these contrasting liquid lines of descent we have undertaken a detailed study of tholeiitic lavas from Akutan volcano in the oceanic A1eutian arc and calc-alkaline products from Aniakchak volcano on the continental A1askan Peninsula. The differences do not appear to be linked to parental magma composition. The Akutan lavas can be explained by closed-system magmatic evolution, whereas curvilinear trace element trends and a large range in 87 Sr/86 Sr isotope ratios in the Aniakchak data appear to require the combined effects of fractional crystallization, assimilation and magma mixing. Both magmatic suites preserve a similar range in 226 Ra-230 Th disequilibria, which suggests that the time scale of crustal residence of magmas beneath both these volcanoes was similar, and of the order of several thousand years. This is consistent with numerical estimates of the time scales for crystallization caused by cooling in convecting crustal magma chambers. During that time interval the tholeiitic Akutan magmas underwent restricted, closed-system, compositional evolution. In contrast, the calc-alkaline magmas beneath Aniakchak volcano underwent significant open-system compositional evolution. Combining these results with data from other studies we suggest that differentiation is faster in calc-alkaline and potassic magma series than in tholeiitic series, owing to a combination of greater extents of assimilation, magma mixing and cooling.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Partial melting of TTG gneisses: crustal contamination and the production of granitic melts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meade, F. C.; Masotta, M.; Troll, V. R.; Freda, C.; Johnson, T. E.; Dahren, B.

2011-12-01

Understanding partial melting of ancient TTG gneiss terranes is crucial when considering crustal contamination in volcanic systems, as these rocks are unlikely to melt completely at magmatic temperatures (1000-1200 °C) and crustal pressures (<500 MPa). Variations in the bulk composition of the gneiss, magma temperature, pressure (depth) and the composition and abundance of any fluids present will produce a variety of melt compositions, from partial melts enriched in incompatible elements to more complete melts, nearing the bulk chemistry of the parent gneiss. We have used piston cylinder experiments to simulate partial melting in a suite of 12 gneisses from NW Scotland (Lewisian) and Eastern Greenland (Ammassalik, Liverpool Land) under magma chamber temperature and pressure conditions (P=200 MPa, T=975 °C). These gneisses form the basement to much of the North Atlantic Igneous Province, where crustal contamination of magmas was commonplace but the composition of the crustal partial melts are poorly constrained [1]. The experiments produced partial melts in all samples (e.g. Fig 1). Electron microprobe analyses of glasses indicate they are compositionally heterogeneous and are significantly different from the whole rock chemistry of the parent gneisses. The melts have variably evolved compositions but are typically trachy-dacitic to rhyolitic (granitic). This integrated petrological, experimental and in-situ geochemical approach allows quantification of the processes of partial melting of TTG gneiss in a volcanic context, providing accurate major/trace element and isotopic (Sr, Pb) end-members for modeling crustal contamination. The experimental melts and restites will be compared geochemically with a suite of natural TTG gneisses, providing constraints on the extent to which the gneisses have produced and subsequently lost melt. [1] Geldmacher et al. (2002) Scottish Journal of Geology, v.38, p.55-61.

Toward Assessing the Causes of Volcanic Diversity in the Cascades Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Till, C. B.; Kent, A. J.; Abers, G. A.; Pitcher, B.; Janiszewski, H. A.; Schmandt, B.

2017-12-01

A fundamental unanswered question in subduction system science is the cause of the observed diversity in volcanic arc style at an arc-segment to whole-arc scale. Specifically, we have yet to distinguish the predominant mantle and crustal processes responsible for the diversity of arc volcanic phenomenon, including the presence of central volcanoes vs. dispersed volcanism; episodicity in volcanic fluxes in time and space; variations in magma chemistry; and differences in the extent of magmatic focusing. Here we present a thought experiment using currently available data to estimate the relative role of crustal magmatic processes in producing the observed variations in Cascades arc volcanism. A compilation of available major element compositions of Quaternary arc volcanism and estimates of eruptive volumes are used to examine variations in the composition of arc magmas along strike. We then calculate the Quaternary volcanic heat flux into the crust, assuming steady state, required to produce the observed distribution of compositions via crystallization of mantle-derived primitive magmas vs. crustal melting using experiment constraints on possible liquid lines of descent and crustal melting scenarios. For pure crystallization, heat input into the crust scales with silica content, with dacitic to rhyolite compositions producing significantly greater latent heat relative to basalts to andesites. In contrast, the heat required to melt lower crustal amphibolite decreases with increasing silica and is likely provided by the latent heat of crystallization. Thus we develop maximum and minimum estimates for heat added to the crust at a given SiO2 range. When volumes are considered, we find that the average Quaternary volcanic heat flux at latitudes south of South Sister to be more than twice that to the north. Distributed mafic volcanism produces only a quarter to half the heat flux calculated for the main edifices at a given latitude because of their lesser eruptive volumes and quantities of evolved magma. When we compare our Quaternary heat flux calculations to a variety of geophysical observations, we find that regions of calculated higher volcanic heat flux coincide with regions of significantly lower crustal seismic wave speeds beneath and behind the arc, as well as with regions of significantly higher heat flow.

PGE abundance and Re-Os isotope Systematics of Native-Fe-Bearing Basaltic Rocks and Their Carbonaceous Crustal Contaminants: Insights into magma plumbing-system dynamics in LIPs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howarth, G. H.; Day, J. M.; Goodrich, C. A.; Pernet-Fisher, J.; Pearson, D. G.; Taylor, L. A.

2014-12-01

Native-Fe grains form in basaltic melts at highly reducing conditions (

Imaging the Magmatic System of Erebus Volcano, Antarctica using the Magnetotelluric Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, G.; Wannamaker, P. E.; Stodt, J. A.; Unsworth, M. J.; Maris, V.; Bedrosian, P.; Wallin, E.; Kordy, M. A.; Ogawa, Y.; Kyle, P. R.; Uhlmann, D. F.

2017-12-01

Erebus volcano, on Ross Island, Antarctica, in the south west Ross Sea, offers a unique opportunity to understand the magmatic system of an active alkaline volcano, and rifting within the West Antarctica Rift System. Erebus has the world's only persistent phonolite lava lake in its summit crater, and thus provides a window into the heart of a degassing volcano's magmatic system. Phonolite magmas like those at Erebus have been responsible for devastating eruptions (e.g. Pompeii 79 AD; Tambora 1815). Petrologic models suggest that Erebus is undergoing fractional crystallisation of deep mantle-derived parental basanite magma in one or more crustal magma chambers. We are using magnetotelluric (MT) methods and instrumentation, especially developed for use in Antarctica, to image the resistivity structure (magmatic system) of Erebus and the older volcanoes forming Ross Island. In addition, we mapping the rifted crustal structure and examining the mantle source of the magma and the role that the Terror Rift system plays in the active volcanism. Data collection occurred over three field seasons from 2014-2017. Measurements were made at 129 locations on Ross Island and vicinity. A pool of 11 Phoenix Geophysics V5 systems coupled with Numeric Resources high impedance preamplifiers were used. A primary goal of this work is to constrain the distribution of melt within and beneath the volcanic edifice. In addition, we are imaging the interpreted mantle source region for Erebus magmas and investigating the role that the Terror Rift system plays in generating and focusing magmatism. Preliminary modelling suggests that we are able to resolve the crustal residence zones and the path taken by the magma as it ascends from the mantle to the surface. Our work provides new insight into the formation of phonolite magma and has implications for understanding the magmatic process occurring in rift systems globally. It further provides an opportunity to compare volcanic processes in both compressional and extensional tectonics settings.

Groundwater pressure changes and crustal deformation before and after the 2007 and 2014 eruptions of Mt. Ontake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koizumi, Naoji; Sato, Tsutomu; Kitagawa, Yuichi; Ochi, Tadafumi

2016-03-01

Volcanic activity generally causes crustal deformation, which sometimes induces groundwater changes, and both of these phenomena are sometimes detected before volcanic eruptions. Therefore, investigations of crustal deformation and groundwater changes can be useful for predicting volcanic eruptions. The Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, has been observing groundwater pressure at Ohtaki observatory (GOT) since 1998. GOT is about 10 km southeast of the summit of Mt. Ontake. During this observation period, Mt. Ontake has erupted twice, in 2007 and in 2014. Before the 2007 eruption, the groundwater pressure at GOT clearly dropped, but it did not change before or after the 2014 eruption. These observations are consistent with the crustal deformation observed by Global Navigation Satellite System stations of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. The difference between the 2007 and 2014 eruptions can be explained if a relatively large magma intrusion occurred before the 2007 eruption but no or a small magma intrusion before the 2014 eruption.

Superhot fluids circulating close to magma intrusions: a contribution from analogue modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montanari, Domenico; Agostini, Andrea; Bonini, Marco; Corti, Giacomo

2017-04-01

Magma overpressure at the time of the emplacement at shallow crustal levels may lead to deformation (i.e. forced folding, fracturing and faulting) in the country rock, both at local and regional scale. To get insights into this process, we reproduced and analysed in the laboratory the fracture/fault network associated with the emplacement of magma at shallow crustal levels. We used a mixture of quartz sand and K-feldspar fine sand as an analogue for the brittle crust, and polyglycerols for the magma. The models were able to reproduce complex 3D architectures of deformation resulting from magma emplacement, with different deformation patterns -invariably dominated by forced folding and associated brittle faulting/fracturing- resulting from variable parameters. These results provide useful hints into geothermal researches. Fractures and faults associated with magma emplacement are indeed expected to significantly influence the distribution and migration of superhot geothermal fluids near the edge of the magma intrusion. These structures can therefore be considered as potential targets for geothermal or mineral deposits exploration. In this perspective, the results of analogue models may provide useful geometric and conceptual constraints for field work, numerical modeling, and particularly seismic interpretation for achieving a better understanding and tuning of the integrated conceptual model concerning the circulation of supercritical fluids. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement No. 608553 (Project IMAGE).

Breakup magmatism style on the North Atlantic Igneous Province: insight from Mid-Norwegian volcanic margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansour Abdelmalak, Mohamed; Faleide, Jan Inge; Planke, Sverre; Theissen-Krah, Sonja; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Breivik, Asbjørn Johan; Gernigon, Laurent; Myklebust, Reidun

2014-05-01

The distribution of breakup-related igneous rocks on rifted margins provide important constraints on the magmatic processes during continental extension and lithosphere separation which lead to a better understanding of the melt supply from the upper mantle and the relationship between tectonic setting and volcanism. The results can lead to a better understanding of the processes forming volcanic margins and thermal evolution of associated prospective basins. We present a revised mapping of the breakup-related igneous rocks in the NE Atlantic area, which are mainly based on the Mid-Norwegian (case example) margin. We divided the breakup related igneous rocks into (1) extrusive complexes, (2) shallow intrusive complexes (sills/dykes) and (3) deep intrusive complexes (Lower Crustal Body: LCB). The extrusive complex has been mapped using the seismic volcanostratigraphic method. Several distinct volcanic seismic facies units have been identified. The top basalt reflection is easily identified because of the high impedance contrast between the sedimentary and volcanic rocks resulting in a major reflector. The basal sequence boundary is frequently difficult to identify but it lies usually over the intruded sedimentary basin. Then the base is usually picked above the shallow sill intrusions identified on seismic profile. The mapping of the top and the base of the basaltic sequences allows us to determine the basalt thickness and estimate the volume of the magma production on the Mid- Norwegian margin. The thicker part of the basalt corresponds to the seaward dipping reflector (SDR). The magma feeder system, mainly formed by dyke and sill intrusions, represents the shallow intrusive complex. Deeper interconnected high-velocity sills are also mappable in the margin. Interconnected sill complexes can define continuous magma network >10 km in vertical ascent. The large-scale sill complexes, in addition to dyke swarm intrusions, represent a mode of vertical long-range magma transport through the upper crust. The deep intrusive complex represents the Lower Crustal Body (LCB) which is observed along the margin and characterized by high P-wave velocity bodies (Vp> 7km/s). On the Vøring margin a strong amplitude dome-shaped reflection (the so-called T-Reflection) has been identified and interpreted as the top LCB. In the sedimentary part of the margin, sill intrusions are the major feeder system and seem to be connected with LCB. In the volcanic part of the margin, dykes represent the main feeder system and lie above the thicker part of the LCB.

Lunar Magma Ocean Bedrock Anorthosites Detected at Orientale Basin by M3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieters, C. M.; Boardman, J. W.; Burratti, B.; Cheek, L.; Clark, R. N.; Combe, J.; Green, R. O.; Head, J. W.; Hicks, M.; Isaacson, P.; Klima, R.; Kramer, G. Y.; Lundeen, S.; Malaret, E.; McCord, T. B.; Mustard, J. F.; Nettles, J. W.; Petro, N. E.; Runyon, C. J.; Staid, M.; Sunshine, J. M.; Taylor, L. A.; Tompkins, S.; Varanasi, P.

2009-12-01

The lunar crust is thought to have formed as a result of global melting of the outer parts of the Moon in its earliest history, a lunar magma ocean (LMO). Crystallization of this magma ocean set the stage for the ensuing history of the planet. Models for the formation of the lunar crust and the evolution of the LMO were derived from individual Apollo samples that could not be placed directly in the context of crustal bedrock with remote sensing data that was available. Data from modern sensors, such as the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on Chandrayaan-1, now allow such bedrock issues to be addressed. The ~930 km diameter Orientale multi-ringed impact basin in the western highlands provides an opportunity to evaluate the mineralogy of the in situ crust of the Moon in the search for LMO mineralogy and structure. Orientale is the youngest large basin on the Moon, and the basin deposits and ring structures expose progressively deeper bedrock layering that can be used to determine lunar crustal structure and test the LMO model. With its high spatial and spectral resolution, M3 data show that the ejecta of the basin is composed of mixed assemblages of processed feldspathic breccias with small amounts of low-Ca pyroxene comprising the upper kilometers-thick mega-regolith layer of the crust. Exposures in the outermost (Cordillera) ring reveal less processed examples of this material. The M3 data show that the next interior ring (Outer Rook), representing deeper material, is characterized by distinctly more crystalline blocks of impact-shocked anorthosite and noritic anorthosite. Most importantly, M3 data reveal that the mountains of the closest ring toward the basin interior (Inner Rook) consist of pure anorthosite, including outcrops of the unshocked crystalline form. This massive exposure of anorthosite across the entire mountain range provides validation for the LMO hypothesis. These mountains are believed to have originated in the upper crust below the impact fragmented regolith and were formed and uplifted during the basin event. Such extensive exposures of this rock type, consisting of almost pure plagioclase, could not have formed in any other way than plagioclase flotation in the crystallizing lunar magma ocean. Figure 1. Schematic cross section of the Orientale basin illustrating the relation of the Inner Rook Ring to the basin deposits of the exterior (after Head et al., 1993, JGR, 98, 17149).

Comment on 'volume of magma accumulation or withdrawal estimated from surface uplift or subsidence, with application to the 1960 collapse of Kilauea volcano' by P.T. Delaney and D.F. McTigue

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Daniel J.; Sigmundsson, F.; Delaney, P.T.

2000-01-01

In volcanoes that store a significant quantity of magma within a subsurface summit reservoir, such as Kilauea, bulk compression of stored magma is an important mode of deformation. Accumulation of magma is also accompanied by crustal deformation, usually manifested at the surface as uplift. These two modes of deformation - bulk compression of resident magma and deformation of the volcanic edifice - act in concert to accommodate the volume of newly added magma. During deflation, the processes reverse and reservoir magma undergoes bulk decompression, the chamber contracts, and the ground surface subsides. Because magma compression plays a role in creating subsurface volume of accommodate magma, magma budget estimates that are derived from surface uplift observations without consideration of magma compression will underestimate actual magma volume changes.

The Relationship Between Carbonatitic, Melilititic and Potassic Trachytic Magma Types at the Saltpeterkop Carbonatite Complex, Sutherland, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janney, P. E.; Marageni, M.

2016-12-01

The 74 Ma Saltpeterkop Carbonatite Complex near Sutherland, South Africa, is unusual in that it is one of the few southern African carbonatites with preserved volcanic features, including a 1 km-diameter tuff ring composed of silicified volcaniclastic breccia. Around the complex, the regionally flat-lying Karoo strata have been dramatically upwarped, with dips away from the Complex as high as 45°. Further, within about a 10 km radius of the center of the complex are hundreds of dikes, sills and diatremes composed mainly of carbonatite, potassic trachyte and olivine melilitite, with the spatial density of these intrusions decreasing with increasing distance. We have recently completed an in-depth geochemical reconnaissance of the Saltpeterkop complex, involving field sampling and whole-rock major and trace element analysis, with radiogenic and stable isotope measurements in progress. While the association with potassic trachytes is relatively common in southern African carbonatites, the presence of significant amounts of primitive olivine melilitite (30-40 wt.% SiO2, Mg# = 61-74) is unusual. Our preliminary model for the origin of the complex involves (1) ascent and intrusion of a mantle-derived carbonated and potassic magma into the mid-to upper crust, (2a) separation of an alkali carbonatite phase from this magma, resulting in intensive local fenitization and partial melting of mid-crustal rocks (thereby forming potassic trachytes), and possibly triggering the initial eruption, (2b) small amounts of primitive, but now less potassic, mantle-derived magma are emplaced as olivine melilitite dikes and diatremes, and (3) differentiation of the mantle-derived magma to generate significant quantities of mainly calcio- and ferro-carbonatite magmas emplaced as dykes and sills.

Geodetic measurements and numerical models of the Afar rifting sequence 2005-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, T.; Feigl, K.; Calais, E.; Hamling, I. J.; Wright, T. J.

2012-12-01

Rifting episodes are characterized by magma migration and dike intrusions that perturb the stress field within the surrounding lithosphere, inducing viscous flow in the lower crust and upper mantle that leads to observable, transient surface deformation. The Manda Hararo-Dabbahu rifting episode that occurred in the Afar depression between 2005 and 2010 is the first such episode to unfold fully in the era of satellite geodesy, thus providing a unique opportunity to probe the rheology of lithosphere at a divergent plate boundary. GPS and SAR measurements over the region since 2005 show accelerated surface deformation rates during post-diking intervals [Wright et al., Nature Geosci., 2012]. Using these observations in combination with a numerical model, we estimate model parameters that best explain the deformation signal. Our model accounts for three distinct processes: (i) secular plate spreading between Nubian and Arabian plates, (ii) time dependent post-rifting viscoelastic relaxation following the 14 dike intrusions that occurred between 2005 and 2010, including the 60 km long mega dike intrusion of September 2005, and (iii) magma accumulation within crustal reservoirs that feed the dikes. To model the time dependent deformation field, we use the open-source unstructured finite element code, Defmod [Ali, 2011, http://defmod.googlecode.com/]. Using a gradient-based iterative scheme [Ali and Feigl, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 2012], we optimize the fit between observed and modeled deformation to estimate parameters in the model, including the locking depth of the rift zone, geometry and depth of magma reservoirs and rheological properties of lower crust and upper mantle, along with their formal uncertainties.

The Variscan evolution in the External massifs of the Alps and place in their Variscan framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Raumer, Jürgen F.; Bussy, François; Stampfli, Gérard M.

2009-02-01

In the general discussion on the Variscan evolution of central Europe the pre-Mesozoic basement of the Alps is, in many cases, only included with hesitation. Relatively well-preserved from Alpine metamorphism, the Alpine External massifs can serve as an excellent example of evolution of the Variscan basement, including the earliest Gondwana-derived microcontinents with Cadomian relics. Testifying to the evolution at the Gondwana margin, at least since the Cambrian, such pieces took part in the birth of the Rheic Ocean. After the separation of Avalonia, the remaining Gondwana border was continuously transformed through crustal extension with contemporaneous separation of continental blocks composing future Pangea, but the opening of Palaeotethys had only a reduced significance since the Devonian. The Variscan evolution in the External domain is characterised by an early HP-evolution with subsequent granulitic decompression melts. During Visean crustal shortening, the areas of future formation of migmatites and intrusion of monzodioritic magmas in a general strike-slip regime, were probably in a lower plate situation, whereas the so called monometamorphic areas may have been in an upper plate position of the nappe pile. During the Latest Carboniferous, the emplacement of the youngest granites was associated with the strike-slip faulting and crustal extension at lower crustal levels, whereas, at the surface, detrital sediments accumulated in intramontaneous transtensional basins on a strongly eroded surface.

Thermal and petrologic constraints on the lower crustal melt accumulation in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakas, O.; Dufek, J.; Mangan, M.; Wright, H. M. N.

2014-12-01

Heat transfer in active volcanic areas is governed by complex coupling between tectonic and magmatic processes. These two processes provide unique imprints on the petrologic and thermal evolution of magma by controlling the geometry, depth, longevity, composition, and fraction of melt in the crust. The active volcanism, tectonic extension, and significantly high surface heat flow in Salton Sea Geothermal Field, CA, provides information about the dynamic heat transfer processes in its crust. The volcanism in the area is associated with tectonic extension over the last 500 ka, followed by subsidence and sedimentation at the surface level and dike emplacement in the lower crust. Although significant progress has been made describing the tectonic evolution and petrology of the erupted products of the Salton Buttes, their coupled control on the crustal heat transfer and feedback on the melt evolution remain unclear. To address these concepts, we develop a two-dimensional finite volume model and investigate the compositional and thermal evolution of the melt and crust in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field through a one-way coupled thermal model that accounts for tectonic extension, lower crustal magma emplacement, sedimentation, and subsidence. Through our simulations, we give quantitative estimates to the thermal and compositional evolution and longevity of the lower crustal melt source in the crustal section. We further compare the model results with petrologic constraints. Our thermal balance equations show that crustal melting is limited and the melt is dominated by mantle-derived material. Similarly, petrologic work on δ18O isotope ratios suggests fractional crystallization of basalt with minor crustal assimilation. In addition, we suggest scenarios for the melt fraction, composition, enthalpy release, geometry and depth of magma reservoirs, their temporal evolution, and the timescales of magmatic storage and evolution processes. These parameters provide the source conditions for the dynamics of surface volcanism and the presence of a geothermal system, which modify the thermal and mechanical structure of the crust.

Coupled interactions between volatile activity and Fe oxidation state during arc crustal processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Humphreys, Madeleine C.S.; Brooker, R; Fraser, D.C.; Burgisser, A; Mangan, Margaret T.; McCammon, C

2015-01-01

Arc magmas erupted at the Earth’s surface are commonly more oxidized than those produced at mid-ocean ridges. Possible explanations for this high oxidation state are that the transfer of fluids during the subduction process results in direct oxidation of the sub-arc mantle wedge, or that oxidation is caused by the effect of later crustal processes, including protracted fractionation and degassing of volatile-rich magmas. This study sets out to investigate the effect of disequilibrium crustal processes that may involve coupled changes in H2O content and Fe oxidation state, by examining the degassing and hydration of sulphur-free rhyolites. We show that experimentally hydrated melts record strong increases in Fe3+/∑Fe with increasing H2O concentration as a result of changes in water activity. This is relevant for the passage of H2O-undersaturated melts from the deep crust towards shallow crustal storage regions, and raises the possibility that vertical variations in fO2 might develop within arc crust. Conversely, degassing experiments produce an increase in Fe3+/∑Fe with decreasing H2O concentration. In this case the oxidation is explained by loss of H2 as well as H2O into bubbles during decompression, consistent with thermodynamic modelling, and is relevant for magmas undergoing shallow degassing en route to the surface. We discuss these results in the context of the possible controls on fO2 during the generation, storage and ascent of magmas in arc settings, in particular considering the timescales of equilibration relative to observation as this affects the quality of the petrological record of magmatic fO2.

Enrichments of the mantle sources beneath the Southern Volcanic Zone (Andes) by fluids and melts derived from abraded upper continental crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holm, Paul Martin; Søager, Nina; Dyhr, Charlotte Thorup; Nielsen, Mia Rohde

2014-05-01

Mafic basaltic-andesitic volcanic rocks from the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) exhibit a northward increase in crustal components in primitive arc magmas from the Central through the Transitional and Northern SVZ segments. New elemental and Sr-Nd-high-precision Pb isotope data from the Quaternary arc volcanic centres of Maipo (NSVZ) and Infernillo and Laguna del Maule (TSVZ) are argued to reflect mainly their mantle source and its melting. For the C-T-NSVZ, we identify two types of source enrichment: one, represented by Antuco in CSVZ, but also present northward along the arc, was dominated by fluids which enriched a pre-metasomatic South Atlantic depleted MORB mantle type asthenosphere. The second enrichment was by melts having the characteristics of upper continental crust (UCC), distinctly different from Chile trench sediments. We suggest that granitic rocks entered the source mantle by means of subduction erosion in response to the northward increasingly strong coupling of the converging plates. Both types of enrichment had the same Pb isotope composition in the TSVZ with no significant component derived from the subducting oceanic crust. Pb-Sr-Nd isotopes indicate a major crustal compositional change at the southern end of the NSVZ. Modelling suggests addition of around 2 % UCC for Infernillo and 5 % for Maipo.

The evolution of magma during continental rifting: New constraints from the isotopic and trace element signatures of silicic magmas from Ethiopian volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchison, William; Mather, Tamsin A.; Pyle, David M.; Boyce, Adrian J.; Gleeson, Matthew L. M.; Yirgu, Gezahegn; Blundy, Jon D.; Ferguson, David J.; Vye-Brown, Charlotte; Millar, Ian L.; Sims, Kenneth W. W.; Finch, Adrian A.

2018-05-01

Magma plays a vital role in the break-up of continental lithosphere. However, significant uncertainty remains about how magma-crust interactions and melt evolution vary during the development of a rift system. Ethiopia captures the transition from continental rifting to incipient sea-floor spreading and has witnessed the eruption of large volumes of silicic volcanic rocks across the region over ∼45 Ma. The petrogenesis of these silicic rocks sheds light on the role of magmatism in rift development, by providing information on crustal interactions, melt fluxes and magmatic differentiation. We report new trace element and Sr-Nd-O isotopic data for volcanic rocks, glasses and minerals along and across active segments of the Main Ethiopian (MER) and Afar Rifts. Most δ18 O data for mineral and glass separates from these active rift zones fall within the bounds of modelled fractional crystallization trajectories from basaltic parent magmas (i.e., 5.5-6.5‰) with scant evidence for assimilation of Pan-African Precambrian crustal material (δ18 O of 7-18‰). Radiogenic isotopes (εNd = 0.92- 6.52; 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7037-0.7072) and incompatible trace element ratios (Rb/Nb <1.5) are consistent with δ18 O data and emphasize limited interaction with Pan-African crust. However, there are important regional variations in melt evolution revealed by incompatible elements (e.g., Th and Zr) and peralkalinity (molar Na2 O +K2 O /Al2O3). The most chemically-evolved peralkaline compositions are associated with the MER volcanoes (Aluto, Gedemsa and Kone) and an off-axis volcano of the Afar Rift (Badi). On-axis silicic volcanoes of the Afar Rift (e.g., Dabbahu) generate less-evolved melts. While at Erta Ale, the most mature rift setting, peralkaline magmas are rare. We find that melt evolution is enhanced in less mature continental rifts (where parental magmas are of transitional rather than tholeiitic composition) and regions of low magma flux (due to reduced mantle melt productivity or where crustal structure inhibits magma ascent). This has important implications for understanding the geotectonic settings that promote extreme melt evolution and, potentially, genesis of economically-valuable mineral deposits in ancient rift-settings. The limited isotopic evidence for assimilation of Pan-African crustal material in Ethiopia suggests that the pre-rift crust beneath the magmatic segments has been substantially modified by rift-related magmatism over the past ∼45 Ma; consistent with geophysical observations. We argue that considerable volumes of crystal cumulate are stored beneath silicic volcanic systems (>100 km3), and estimate that crystal cumulates fill at least 16-30% of the volume generated by crustal extension under the axial volcanoes of the MER and Manda Hararo Rift Segment (MHRS) of Afar. At Erta Ale only ∼1% of the volume generated due to rift extension is filled by cumulates, supporting previous seismic evidence for a greater role of plate stretching in mature rifts at the onset of sea-floor spreading. We infer that ∼45 Ma of magmatism has left little fusible Pan-African material to be assimilated beneath the magmatic segments and the active segments are predominantly composed of magmatic cumulates with δ18 O indistinguishable from mantle-derived melts. We predict that the δ18 O of silicic magmas should converge to mantle values as the rift continues to evolve. Although current data are limited, a comparison with ∼30 Ma ignimbrites (with δ18 O up to 8.9‰) supports this inference, evidencing greater crustal assimilation during initial stages of rifting and at times of heightened magmatic flux.

Dual origins for pantellerites, and other puzzles, at Mount Takahe volcano, Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeMasurier, Wesley; Choi, Sung Hi; Kawachi, Yosuke; Mukasa, Sam; Rogers, Nick

2018-01-01

Mt. Takahe is a large, late Quaternary trachyte shield volcano that rises through 2000 + m of the West Antarctic ice sheet. It is composed mostly of ne-trachyte, hy-ol-trachyte, and qz-trachyte flows, with subordinate basanite, intermediate rocks, and pantellerites. All rock types can be adequately modeled by fractional crystallization of basanite - the only basaltic rock exposed here. The ne-trachytes can be explained by a single stage of low-pressure fractionation near the base of the upper crust. Models of oversaturated rocks require a period of evolution at a depth of 35 km, below the stability field of plagioclase, where fractionation of kaersutite and associated high pressure minerals will yield silica oversaturated residual magmas. This is then followed by a period of fractionation at a depth of 3 km, where peralkalinity and Fe-enrichment are acquired. Pantellerite compositions span virtually the entire spectrum of peralkalinity, Fe-enrichment, LILE-enrichment, and SiO2 values, and seem to represent a range of residence times in upper crustal vs., upper mantle magma chambers. Mt. Takahe is unusual among Marie Byrd Land volcanoes for its geochemical anomalies. These include the lowest 143Nd/144Nd ratios in West Antarctica, and unusually high but unpredictable Ba values. These anomalies are believed to originate in a pre-85 Ma subduction mélange at the base of the lithosphere, which seems to be the source of Mt. Takahe basaltic rocks.

Isotopic and trace element variations in the Ruby Batholith, Alaska, and the nature of the deep crust beneath the Ruby and Angayucham Terranes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arth, Joseph G.; Zmuda, Clara C.; Foley, Nora K.; Criss, Robert E.; Patton, W.W.; Miller, T.P.

1989-01-01

Thirty-six samples from plutons of the Ruby batholith of central Alaska were collected and analyzed for 22 trace elements, and many were analyzed for the isotopic compositions of Sr, Nd, O, and Pb in order to delimit the processes that produced the diversity of granodioritic to granitic compositions, to deduce the nature of the source of magmas at about 110 Ma, and to characterize the deep crust beneath the Ruby and Angayucham terranes. Plutons of the batholith show a substantial range in initial 87Sr/86Sr (SIR) of 0.7055–0.7235 and a general decrease from southwest to northeast. Initial 143Nd/144Nd (NIR) have a range of 0.51150–0.51232 and generally increase from southwest to northeast. The δ18O values for most whole rocks have a range of +8.4 to +11.8 and an average of +10.3‰. Rb, Cs, U, and Th show large ranges of concentration, generally increase as SiO2 increases, and are higher in southwest than in northeast plutons. Sr, Ba, Zr, Hf, Ta, Sc, Cr, Co, and Zr show large ranges of concentration and generally decrease as SiO2 increases. Rare earth elements (REE) show fractionated patterns and negative Eu anomalies. REE concentrations and anomalies are larger in the southwest than in the northeast plutons. Uniformity of SIR and NIR in Sithylemenkat and Jim River plutons suggests a strong role for fractional crystallization or melting of uniform magma sources at depth. Isotopic variability in Melozitna, Ray Mountains, Hot Springs, and Kanuti plutons suggests complex magmatic processes such as magma mixing and assimilation, probably combined with fractional crystallization, or melting of a complex source at depth. The large variations in SIR and NIR in the batholith require a variation in source materials at depth. The southwestern plutons probably had dominantly siliceous sources composed of metamorphosed Proterozoic and Paleozoic upper crustal rocks. The northeastern plutons probably had Paleozoic sources that were mixtures of siliceous and intermediate to mafic crustal rocks. The inferred sources could well have been the higher-metamorphic-grade lithologic equivalents of the exposed Proterozoic(?) to Paleozoic schists, orthogneisses, and metavolcanic rocks of Ruby terrane, the silicic portions of which are quite radiogenic. The deeper crustal sources that gave rise to most of the batholithic magmas are inferred to be similar under both the Ruby metamorphic terrane and the Angayucham ophiolitic terrane.

Oxygen isotopes reveal crustal contamination and a large, still partially molten magma chamber in Chaîne des Puys (French Massif Central)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, Lydéric; Demacon, Mickael; Gurenko, Andrey A.; Briot, Danielle

2016-09-01

The two main magmatic properties associated with explosive eruptions are high viscosity of silica-rich magmas and/or high volatile contents. Magmatic processes responsible for the genesis of such magmas are differentiation through crystallization, and crustal contamination (or assimilation) as this process has the potential to enhance crystallization and add volatiles to the initial budget. In the Chaîne des Puy series (French Massif Central), silica- and H2O-rich magmas were only emitted during the most recent eruptions (ca. 6-15 ka). Here, we use in situ measurements of oxygen isotopes in zircons from two of the main trachytic eruptions from the Chaîne des Puys to track the crustal contamination component in a sequence that was previously presented as an archetypal fractional crystallization series. Zircons from Sarcoui volcano and Puy de Dôme display homogeneous oxygen isotope compositions with δ18O = 5.6 ± 0.25‰ and 5.6 ± 0.3‰, respectively, and have therefore crystallized from homogeneous melts with δ18Omelt = 7.1 ± 0.3‰. Compared to mantle derived melts resulting from pure fractional crystallization (δ18Odif.mant. = 6.4 ± 0.4‰), those δ18Omelt values are enriched in 18O and support a significant role of crustal contamination in the genesis of silica-rich melts in the Chaîne des Puys. Assimilation-fractional-crystallization models highlight that the degree of contamination was probably restricted to 5.5-9.5% with Rcrystallization/Rassimilation varying between 8 and 14. The very strong intra-site homogeneity of the isotopic data highlights that magmas were well homogenized before eruption, and consequently that crustal contamination was not the trigger of silica-rich eruptions in the Chaîne des Puys. The exceptionally strong inter-site homogeneity of the isotopic data brings to light that Sarcoui volcano and Puy de Dôme were fed by a single large magma chamber. Our results, together with recent thermo-kinetic models and an experimental simulation (Martel et al., 2013), support the existence of a large ( 6-15 km3), still partially molten mid-crustal reservoir (10-12 km deep) that is filled with silica-rich magma. Calculated oxygen isotope compositions of the trachytic melts that crystallized the analyzed zircons for Puy de Dôme, Sarcoui dome, and Sarcoui phreatomagmatic deposits, and the range of values for each analyzed zircon grain. The range for trachytes obtained by pure fractional crystallization of mantle melts is given for comparison. See text for details on calculations. Chemical differentiation trend of Chaîne des Puys magmas (data from Boivin et al., 2009), and results of the fractional crystallization models presented herein and in Table 3. L1 is obtained after the first step of differentiation, and L2 after the second. The composition of Sarcoui trachytes is identified by an X. S3.1. Core-rim variations for oxygen isotope compositions of the studied zircons. S3.2. Oxygen isotope compositions of the various zircon domains observed with cathodoluminescence imaging (dark versus bright), and for zircons with different types of zoning (oscillatory versus sector). No systematic variation is observed.

Timescales of mixing and storage for Keanakāko`i Tephra magmas (1500-1820 C.E.), Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai`i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynn, Kendra J.; Garcia, Michael O.; Shea, Thomas; Costa, Fidel; Swanson, Donald A.

2017-09-01

The last 2500 years of activity at Kīlauea Volcano (Hawai`i) have been characterized by centuries-long periods dominated by either effusive or explosive eruptions. The most recent period of explosive activity produced the Keanakāko`i Tephra (KT; ca. 1500-1820 C.E.) and occurred after the collapse of the summit caldera (1470-1510 C.E.). Previous studies suggest that KT magmas may have ascended rapidly to the surface, bypassing storage in crustal reservoirs. The storage conditions and rapid ascent hypothesis are tested here using chemical zoning in olivine crystals and thermodynamic modeling. Forsterite contents (Fo; [Mg/(Mg + Fe) × 100]) of olivine core and rim populations are used to identify melt components in Kīlauea's prehistoric (i.e., pre-1823) plumbing system. Primitive (≥Fo88) cores occur throughout the 300+ years of the KT period; they originated from mantle-derived magmas that were first mixed and stored in a deep crustal reservoir. Bimodal olivine populations (≥Fo88 and Fo83-84) record repeated mixing of primitive magmas and more differentiated reservoir components shallower in the system, producing a hybrid composition (Fo85-87). Phase equilibria modeling using MELTS shows that liquidus olivine is not stable at depths >17 km. Thus, calculated timescales likely record mixing and storage within the crust. Modeling of Fe-Mg and Ni zoning patterns (normal, reverse, complex) reveal that KT magmas were mixed and stored for a few weeks to several years before eruption, illustrating a more complex storage history than direct and rapid ascent from the mantle as previously inferred for KT magmas. Complexly zoned crystals also have smoothed compositional reversals in the outer 5-20 µm rims that are out of Fe-Mg equilibrium with surrounding glasses. Diffusion models suggest that these rims formed within a few hours to a few days, indicating that at least one additional, late-stage mixing event may have occurred shortly prior to eruption. Our study illustrates that the lifetimes of KT magmas are more complex than previously proposed, and that most KT magmas did not rise rapidly from the mantle without modification during shallow crustal storage.

Siderophile and chalcophile metals as tracers of the evolution of the Siberian Trap in the Noril'sk region, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brügmann, G. E.; Naldrett, A. J.; Asif, M.; Lightfoot, P. C.; Gorbachev, N. S.; Fedorenko, V. A.

1993-05-01

In this study Cu, Ni, and platinum-group elements (PGE) were determined in a sequence of basaltic and picritic lavas from the Siberian Trap in the Noril'sk area of Russia to constrain genetic relationships between the basalts and the petrogenesis of Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposits associated with the Talnakh and Noril'sk intrusions. In the most primitive basalts (8-19 wt% MgO) of the Tuklonsky (Tk) suite, Pt and Pd concentrations range from 4-13 ppb, increasing with decreasing MgO content; whereas Ir contents decrease with MgO from 0.8-0.05 ppb. The contrasting behavior of these elements, which all have very high sulfide-silicate partition coefficients, as well as the primitive mantle-like ratios of Cu/Y and Pd/Y, suggests that these magmas were not sulfide-saturated. The high PGE abundances imply that their parental magmas were also not sulfide saturated during partial melting in the mantle. Due to sulfide segregation, the overlying basalts of the Nadezhdinsky (Nd) series are low in Cu and Ni (52 and 38 ppm, respectively); highly depleted in all PGE; and have very low Cu/Y, Pd/Y, and Pd/Cu ratios. However, in stratigraphically higher levels, Cu, Ni, and PGE concentrations increase systematically through the Morongovsky (Mr) suite to reach a concentration plateau in the uppermost Mokulaevsky (Mk) suite (Pt 8 ppb; Pd: 9 ppb; Ir: 0.12 ppb; Rh: 0.4 ppb). At the same time, ratios such as Cu/Y increase and approach primitive mantle values. However, ratios involving PGE, such as Pd/Y, remain low, suggesting the removal of small amounts of sulfide (0.01-0.03%). The compositional variations in the basalts and the sulfide liquids can be quantitatively described by fractional segregation of a sulfide liquid in an open- or closed-system magma chamber. The latter model suggests that the basalts represent the eruption products of a zoned magma chamber in which light magma, with crustal components contaminated, overlies less contaminated, denser magma. Crustal contamination caused sulfide saturation, and the resulting sulfide liquids settled through a magma column and accumulated at the bottom of the chamber. In this model, the sulfide liquid is not in equilibrium with the whole magma mass, and sulfide segregation is compared with the zone-refining process of metallurgy. The sulfides become more enriched as they move through the magma; and although the magma left behind is depleted in PGE, Cu, and Ni, their concentrations also increase with depth. Eventually, the magma chamber is emptied from the top to the bottom, producing the flood basalt sequence and the associated intrusions and ore deposits. In the open-system model, sulfide saturation was initially caused by assimilation of crustal material by the Tuklonsky magma. Continuous and simultaneous replenishment, assimilation, and crystallization processes formed the lower Nd lavas. The concurrent removal of 0.5-1% sulfide strongly depleted these magmas in chalcophile and siderophile metals. Due to the continuous replenishment of the magma chamber with uncontaminated PGE-rich magma, succeeding lavas (Mr, Mk) show diminishing signs of crustal contamination and become less sulfide-saturated, as indicated by the increasing Ni, Cu, and PGE abundances. During the evolution of the chamber, the magma remained sulfur-saturated, and sulfides accumulated at the base. The composition of the sulfide ores could be regarded as a mixture consisting of low Ni-, Cu-, and PGE-sulfides derived with a low silicate/sulfide ratio (100) from the Tk-Nd magma and high Ni-, Cu-, and PGE-sulfides formed with a high ratio (10,000) from the Mr-Mk magma.

Evaluating Crustal Contamination Effects On The Lithophile Trace Element Budget Of Shergottites, NWA 856 As A Test Case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, A. D.; Ferdous, J.; Peslier, A. H.

2017-01-01

The issue of whether crustal contamination has affected the lithophile trace element budget of shergottites has been a point of contention for decades. The evaluation has focused on the enriched shergottite compositions as an outcome of crustal contamination of mantle-derived parent magmas or, alternatively, the compositions of these stones reflect an incompatible trace element (ITE) enriched mantle source.

Magma Supply of Southwest Indian Ocean: Implication from Crustal Thickness Anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiheng, L.; Jianghai, L.; Huatian, Z.; Qingkai, F.

2017-12-01

The Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is one of the world's slowest spreading ridges with a full spreading rate of 14mm a-1, belonging to ultraslow spreading ridge, which are a novel class of spreading centers symbolized by non-uniform magma supply and crustal accretion. Therefore, the crustal thickness of Southwest Indian Ocean is a way to explore the magmatic and tectonic process of SWIR and the hotspots around it. Our paper uses Residual Mantle Bouguer Anomaly processed with the latest global public data to invert the relative crustal thickness and correct it according to seismic achievements. Gravity-derived crustal thickness model reveals a huge range of crustal thickness in Southwest Indian Ocean from 0.04km to 24km, 7.5km of average crustal thickness, and 3.5km of standard deviation. In addition, statistics data of crustal thickness reveal the frequency has a bimodal mixed skewed distribution, which indicates the crustal accretion by ridge and ridge-plume interaction. Base on the crustal thickness model, we divide three types of crustal thickness in Southwest Indian Ocean. About 20.31% of oceanic crust is <4.8km thick designated as thin crust, and 60.99% is 4.8-9.8km thick as normal crust. The remaining 18.70% is >9.8km thick as thick crust. Furthermore, Prominent thin crust anomalies are associated with the trend of most transform faults, but thick crust anomalies presents to northeast of Andrew Bain transform fault. Cold and depleted mantle are also the key factors to form the thin crust. The thick crust anomalies are constrained by hotspots, which provide abundant heat to the mantle beneath mid-ocean ridge or ocean basin. Finally, we roughly delineate the range of ridge-plume interaction and transform fault effect.

V/Sc in olivine as a proxy for magma redox conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Locmelis, M.; Arevalo, R. D., Jr.; Puchtel, I. S.; Fiorentini, M. L.

2017-12-01

Although olivine is the most abundant mineral in the upper mantle and a major constituent of most mantle-derived rocks, studies on its trace element chemistry are underrepresented. This is especially the case for komatiites, an ultramafic, olivine-dominated rock type that formed via high degrees of partial melting (up to 50%) of the mantle. Komatiites were mostly emplaced in the Archean and therefore provide a unique perspective on the composition and evolution of the early Earth's mantle. Here, we present the V/Sc compositions of olivines from a global set of Paleo- (3.5-3.3 Ga) and Neo-Archean (2.7 Ga) komatiites analyzed via laser ablation ICP-MS. Vanadium and Sc behave similar during partial melting, but V is redox-sensitive (V2+-V5+) and most compatible in olivine as V2+. Scandium is monovalent (Sc3+) and its compatibility in olivine is not affected by the oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the komatiite lava. Therefore, V/Sc ratios in olivines are potentially indicative of the fO2 of the magma they crystallized from. Our data show that V/Sc ratios measured in Neo-Archean olivines (V/Scmean = 1.0 ± 0.1; 2σm) are significantly lower than in their Paleo-Archean counterparts (V/Scmean = 2.1 ± 0.1; 2σm). Geochemical models show that the elevated V/Sc ratios captured by the Paleo-Archean olivines reflect crystallization from magmas that were 1.6 log units (relative to QFM) more reduced than their Neo-Archean counterparts, and thus contained a higher proportion of V2+. Because assimilation of sedimentary bedrocks can alter the composition of komatiites upon emplacement, it may be argued that the redox states recorded by the olivines do not reflect mantle fO2, but the assimilation of crustal material. However, such an effect is not visible in our data as V/Sc ratios in olivines from localities that show evidence of crustal assimilation do not differ from komatiites that did not assimilate significant amounts of crustal rocks. Rather than a crustal signature, the V/Sc ratios suggest a secular increase of fO2 in the Archean mantle of potentially as much as 1.6 log units (relative to QFM) between 3.5-3.3 Ga and 2.7 Ga. These results are intriguing because an increase of only 0.5 log units in mantle fO2 has previously been identified as a sufficient kick-starter for the 2.4 Ga Great Oxidation Event.

Mafic/Ultramafic xenoliths from Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat; northwestern Deccan Trap, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naushad, M.; Behera, J. R.; Chakra, M.; Murthy, P. V.

2017-12-01

The crustal growth forming processes at the crust-mantle interface or within the crust due to magma underplating is important for the formation and emplacement of continental flood basalt and large igneous provinces. Mafic/ultramafic xenoliths from lower crust or upper mantle provide clue to characterize the underplated material and magmatic processes. Earlier study of ultramafic xenoliths suggested magma underplating and crustal growth in Kuchchh, Gujarat, northwestern Deccan Trap (NWDT). Absence of such xenoliths in Saurashtra peninsula (SP) of NWDT however could not supplement this. Here, we report the mafic/ultramafic xenoliths entrained in high MgO basaltic lava flows of NWDT of SP in Rajkot district of Gujarat, India. The xenoliths are medium to coarse grained, meso - to melanocratic, elongated to angular pyroxenite (Type-I), two pyroxenes gabbro (Type-II) and anorthosite (Type-III) showing sharp contact with host basalt flows. Type-I xenoliths dominated by clinopyroxene (cpx) (Wo49-45 En49-38) with olivine (ol) (Fo84-78), exhibit cumulate texture, Type-II composed of cpx (core-Wo49-48 En42-41), orthopyroxene (opx) (core- En77-76 Fs23-22) and plagioclase (plag) (Ab35-28 An71-64) and Type-III, composed dominantly of plag (Ab67-29 An68-28) with minor opx (En78-76 Fs20-18) and a grain of hercynite (Al2O3=59%) in close association with plag. The basaltic lavas are porphyritic containing ol (Fo88-75), cpx (Wo50-48 En39-37), plag (Ab43-26 An74-54) and opaques. Whole rock geochemical data of xenolith entrained lava flows indicates high MgO (10-11 wt%) with high Ni (421-430 ppm) and Cr (795-1076 ppm). The equilibration temperature calculated from cpx - opx (adjacent grain of cpx and opx, pair-A; inclusion of cpx within opx, pair-B) for Type-II xenolith indicates 778°C and 789°C (pair-A) and 821°C and 832°C (pair-B) at 5 kbar and 10 kbar pressure respectively. Present study suggests that the possibility of magma underplating at crust-mantle interface or presence of layered igneous sill/dyke complex at sub-crustal level. This is corroborated by seismic and other geophysical studies suggesting the magmatic underplating and presence of high velocity layer (Vp 7.1 km/s) with high Poisson's ratio at lower crustal level or crust-mantle interface beneath the NWDT of SP, Gujarat.

Sequence and petrogenesis of the Jurassic volcanic rocks (Yeba Formation) in the Gangdese arc, southern Tibet: Implications for the Neo-Tethyan subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhi-Chao; Ding, Lin; Zhang, Li-Yun; Wang, Chao; Qiu, Zhi-Li; Wang, Jian-Gang; Shen, Xiao-Li; Deng, Xiao-Qin

2018-07-01

The Yeba Formation volcanic rocks in the Gangdese arc recorded important information regarding the early history of the Neo-Tethyan subduction. To explore their magmatic evolution and tectonic significance, we performed a systematic petrological, geochronological and geochemical study on these volcanic rocks. Our data indicated that the Yeba Formation documents a transition from andesite-dominated volcanism (which started before 182 Ma and continued until 176 Ma) to bimodal volcanism ( 174-168 Ma) in the earliest Middle Jurassic. The early-stage andesite-dominated volcanics are characterized by various features of major and trace elements and are interpreted as the products of interactions between mantle-derived arc magmas and lower crustal melts. Their positive εNd(t) and εHf(t) values suggest a significant contribution of asthenosphere-like mantle. The late-stage bimodal volcanism is dominated by felsic rocks with subordinate basalts. Geochemical signatures of the basalts indicate a composite magma source that included a "subduction component", an asthenosphere-like upper mantle domain and an ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle component. The felsic rocks of the late stage were produced mainly by the melting of juvenile crust, with some ancient crustal materials also involved. We suggest that the occurrence and preservation of the Yeba Formation volcanic rocks were tied to a tectonic switch from contraction to extension in the Gangdese arc, which probably resulted from slab rollback of the subducting Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab during the Jurassic.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yokoyama, I.

One may assume a center of volcanic activities beneath the edifice of an active volcano, which is here called the focus of the volcano. Sometimes it may be a ''magma reservoir''. Its depth may differ with types of magma and change with time. In this paper, foci of volcanoes are discussed from the viewpoints of four items: (1) Geomagnetic changes related with volcanic activities; (2) Crustal deformations related with volcanic activities; (3) Magma transfer through volcanoes; and (4) Subsurface structure of calderas.

Plutonism at Different Crustal Levels of an Arc: Insights From the 5 to 40 km (Paleodepth) North Cascades Crustal Section, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, R. B.; Paterson, S. R.; Matzel, J. P.

2008-12-01

The crystalline core of the North Cascades preserves a Cretaceous crustal section that facilitates evaluation of pluton construction, emplacement, geometry, composition, and deformation at widely variable crustal levels (~5 to 40 km paleodepth) in a thick (> 55 km) continental magmatic arc. The oldest and largest pulse of plutonism was focused between 96-89 Ma when fluxes were a minimum of 3.9x10-6km3/yr/km of arc length, but the coincidence with regional crustal thickening and underthrusting of a cool outboard terrane resulted in relatively low mid- to deep-crustal temperatures for an arc. A second, smaller peak of magmatism at 78-71 Ma (minimum of 8.2x10-7km3/yr/km of arc length) occurred during regional transpression. Tonalite dominates at all levels of the section. Intrusions range from large plutons to thin (< 50 m) dispersed sheets encased in metamorphic rocks that record less focused magmatism. The percentage of igneous rocks increases systematically from shallow to middle to deep levels; from approximately 37% to 55% to 65% of the total rock volume. Unfocused magmas comprise much higher percentages (approximately 19%) of the total plutonic rock at deep- and mid-crustal depths, but only 1% at shallower levels, whereas the largest intrusions were emplaced into shallow crust. Plutons have a range of shapes, including: asymmetric wedges to funnels; subhorizontal tabular sheets; steep-sided, blade-shaped bodies with high aspect ratios in map view; and steep-sided, vertically extensive (> 8 km) bodies shaped like thick disks and/or hockey pucks. Sheeted intrusions and gently dipping tabular bodies are more common with depth. Some of these plutons fit the model that most intrusions are subhorizontal and tabular, but many do not, reflecting the complex changes in lithology and rheology in arc crust undergoing regional shortening. The steep sheeted plutons partly represent magma transfer zones that fed the large shallow plutons, which were sites of intermittent magma accumulation for up to 5.5 m.y. Downward movement of host rocks by multiple processes occurred at all crustal levels during pluton emplacement. Ductile flow and accompanying rigid rotation were the dominant processes; stoping played an important secondary role, and magma wedging and regional deformation also aided emplacement. Overall, there are some striking changes with increasing depth, but many features and processes in the arc are similar throughout the crustal section, probably reflecting the relatively small differences in peak temperatures between the mid- and deep crust. Such patterns may be representative of thick continental magmatic arcs constructed during regional shortening.

Mesozoic high-Mg andesites from the Daohugou area, Inner Mongolia: Upper-crustal fractional crystallization of parental melt derived from metasomatized lithospheric mantle wedge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Fanxue; Gao, Shan; Song, Zhaojun; Niu, Yaoling; Li, Xuping

2018-03-01

Mineral chemistry, major- and trace-element data, zircon U-Pb ages, and Sr-Nd isotopic data are presented for a suite of volcanic rocks from the Daohugou area, Ningcheng City, Inner Mongolia, on the northern margin of the North China Craton. Samples from the suite are of basaltic andesite to rhyolite in composition, with the rocks containing <60 wt% SiO2 have high MgO, Cr, and Ni contents, and classify as high-Mg andesites (HMAs). Zircons from a rhyolite yielded weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 164 ± 1 Ma, indicating that the Daohugou volcanic suite is coeval with the Tiaojishan Formation of northern Hebei and western Liaoning Province. The HMAs have similar enriched-mantle I (EMI)-type isotopic compositions to each other, with low εNd (t) values, moderate (87Sr/86Sr) i ratios, enrichment in LREEs relative to LILEs, and depletion in HFSEs (e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti), indicating formation through protracted fractional crystallization of a common parental magma. The unusually low CaO contents and CaO/FeO ratios of olivine phenocrysts in the HMAs suggest that the parental melt was subduction-related. The results of Rhyolite-MELTS modelling indicates that HMAs may form through upper-crustal fractional crystallization from arc basalts. Therefore, the Daohugou HMAs were most likely formed through fractional crystallization of a parental melt derived from metasomatized lithospheric mantle at crustal depths. The addition of "water" to the cratonic keel may have played a key role in the destruction of the North China Craton.

Lithospheric Contributions to Arc Magmatism: Isotope Variations Along Strike in Volcanoes of Honshu, Japan

PubMed

Kersting; Arculus; Gust

1996-06-07

Major chemical exchange between the crust and mantle occurs in subduction zone environments, profoundly affecting the chemical evolution of Earth. The relative contributions of the subducting slab, mantle wedge, and arc lithosphere to the generation of island arc magmas, and ultimately new continental crust, are controversial. Isotopic data for lavas from a transect of volcanoes in a single arc segment of northern Honshu, Japan, have distinct variations coincident with changes in crustal lithology. These data imply that the relatively thin crustal lithosphere is an active geochemical filter for all traversing magmas and is responsible for significant modification of primary mantle melts.

Isotopic and chemical evidence concerning the genesis and contamination of basaltic and rhyolitic magma beneath the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, W.; Halliday, A.N.; Christiansen, R.L.

1991-01-01

Since 2.2 Ma, the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field has produced ~6000 km3 of rhyolite tuffs and lavas in >60 separate eruptions, as well as ~100 km3 of tholeiitic basalt from >50 vents peripheral to the silicic focus. Intermediate eruptive products are absent. Early postcollapse rhyolites show large shifts in Nd, Sr, Pb, and O isotopic composition caused by assimilation of roof rocks and hydrothermal brines during collapse and resurgence. Younger intracaldera rhyolite lavas record partial isotopic recovery toward precaldera ratios. Thirteen extracaldera rhyolites show none of these effects and have sources independent of the subcaldera magma system. Contributions from the Archaean crust have extreme values and wide ranges of Nd-, Sr, and Pb-isotope ratios, but Yellowstone rhyolites have moderate values and limited ranges. This requires their deep-crustal sources to have been pervasively hybridized by distributed intrusion of Cenozoic basalt, most of which was probably contemporaneous with the Pliocene and Quaternary volcanism. Most Yellowstone basalts had undergone cryptic clinopyroxene fractionation in the lower crust or crust-mantle transition zone and, having also ascended through or adjacent to crustal zones of silicic-magma generation, most underwent some crustal contamination. -from Authors

Magmatic inclusions in rhyolites, contaminated basalts, and compositional zonation beneath the Coso volcanic field, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, C.R.; Metz, J.

1984-01-01

Basaltic lava flows and high-silica rhyolite domes form the Pleistocene part of the Coso volcanic field in southeastern California. The distribution of vents maps the areal zonation inferred for the upper parts of the Coso magmatic system. Subalkalic basalts (<50% SiO2) were erupted well away from the rhyolite field at any given time. Compositional variation among these basalts can be ascribed to crystal fractionation. Erupted volumes of these basalts decrease with increasing differentiation. Mafic lavas containing up to 58% SiO2, erupted adjacent to the rhyolite field, formed by mixing of basaltic and silicic magma. Basaltic magma interacted with crustal rocks to form other SiO2-rich mafic lavas erupted near the Sierra Nevada fault zone. Several rhyolite domes in the Coso volcanic field contain sparse andesitic inclusions (55-61% SiO2). Pillow-like forms, intricate commingling and local diffusive mixing of andesite and rhyolite at contacts, concentric vesicle distribution, and crystal morphologies indicative of undercooling show that inclusions were incorporated in their rhyolitic hosts as blobs of magma. Inclusions were probably dispersed throughout small volumes of rhyolitic magma by convective (mechanical) mixing. Inclusion magma was formed by mixing (hybridization) at the interface between basaltic and rhyolitic magmas that coexisted in vertically zoned igneous systems. Relict phenocrysts and the bulk compositions of inclusions suggest that silicic endmembers were less differentiated than erupted high-silica rhyolite. Changes in inferred endmembers of magma mixtures with time suggest that the steepness of chemical gradients near the silicic/mafic interface in the zoned reservoir may have decreased as the system matured, although a high-silica rhyolitic cap persisted. The Coso example is an extreme case of large thermal and compositional contrast between inclusion and host magmas; lesser differences between intermediate composition magmas and inclusions lead to undercooling phenomena that suggest smaller ??T. Vertical compositional zonation in magma chambers has been documented through study of products of voluminous pyroclastic eruptions. Magmatic inclusions in volcanic rocks provide evidence for compositional zonation and mixing processes in igneous systems when only lava is erupted. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag.

Fault-controlled pluton emplacement in the Sevier fold-and-thrust belt of southwest Montana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalakay, Thomas J.; John, Barbara E.; Lageson, David R.

2001-06-01

Problems associated with syncompressional pluton emplacement center on the need to make room for magma in environments where crustal shortening, not extension, occurs on a regional scale. New structural data from the Pioneer and Boulder batholiths of southwest Montana, USA, suggest emplacement at the top of frontal thrust ramps as composite tabular bodies at crustal depths between 1 and 10 km. Frontal thrust facilitated pluton emplacement was accommodated by: (1) a magma feeder zone created along the ramp interface; (2) providing 'releasing steps' at ramp tops that serve as initial points of emplacement and subsequent pluton growth; and (3) localizing antithetic back-thrusts that assist in pluton ascent. A model of magma emplacement is proposed that involves these elements. This model for syntectonic ramp-top emplacement of plutons helps explain how space is made for plutons within fold-and-thrust belts.

The granite problem as exposed in the southern Snake Range, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, D.E.; Christiansen, E.H.

1983-01-01

A geochemically and mineralogically diverse group of granitoids is present within an area of 900 km2 in the southern Snake Range of eastern Nevada. The granitoids exposed range in age from Jurassic through Cretaceous to Oligocene and include two calcic intrusions, two different types of two-mica granites, and aplites. The younger intrusions appear to have been emplaced at progressively more shallow depths. All of these granitoid types are represented elsewhere in the eastern Great Basin, but the southern Snake Range is distinguished by the grouping of all these types within a relatively small area. The Jurassic calcic pluton of the Snake Creek-Williams Canyon area displays large and systematic chemical and mineralogical zonation over a horizontal distance of five km. Although major element variations in the pluton compare closely with Daly's average andesite-dacite-rhyolite over an SiO2 range of 63 to 76 percent, trace element (Rb, Sr, Ba) variations show that the zonation is the result of in situ fractional crystallization, with the formation of relatively mafic cumulates on at least one wall of the magma chamber. Models of trace element and isotopic data indicate that relatively little assimilation took place at the level of crystallization. Nonetheless, an initial 87Sr/86Sr value of 0.7071 and ??18O values of 10.2 to 12.2 permil suggest a lower crustal magma that was contaminated by upper crustal clastic sedimentary rocks before crystallization. The involvement of mantle-derived magmas in its genesis is difficult to rule out. Two other Jurassic plutons show isotopic and chemical similarities to the Snake Creek-Williams Canyon pluton. Cretaceous granites from eastern Nevada that contain phenocrystic muscovite are strongly peraluminous, and have high initial Sr-isotope ratios and other features characteristic of S-type granitoids. They were probably derived from Proterozoic metasediments and granite gneisses that comprise the middle crust of this region. Another group of granitoids (including the Tertiary aplites) show chemical, mineralogic, and isotopic characteristics intermediate between the first two groups and may have been derived by contamination of magmas from the lower crust by the midcrustal metasediments. ?? 1983 Springer-Verlag.

The Upper- to Middle-Crustal Section of the Alisitos Oceanic Arc, (Baja, Mexico): an Analog of the Izu-Bonin-Marianas (IBM) Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medynski, S.; Busby, C.; DeBari, S. M.; Morris, R.; Andrews, G. D.; Brown, S. R.; Schmitt, A. K.

2016-12-01

The Rosario segment of the Cretaceous Alisitos arc in Baja California is an outstanding field analog for the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) arc, because it is structurally intact, unmetamorphosed, and has superior three-dimensional exposures of an upper- to middle-crustal section through an extensional oceanic arc. Previous work1, done in the pre-digital era, used geologic mapping to define two phases of arc evolution, with normal faulting in both phases: (1) extensional oceanic arc, with silicic calderas, and (2) oceanic arc rifting, with widespread diking and dominantly mafic effusions. Our new geochemical data match the extensional zone immediately behind the Izu arc front, and is different from the arc front and rear arc, consistent with geologic relations. Our study is developing a 3D oceanic arc crustal model, with geologic maps draped on Google Earth images, and GPS-located outcrop information linked to new geochemical, geochronological and petrographic data, with the goal of detailing the relationships between plutonic, hypabyssal, and volcanic rocks. This model will be used by scientists as a reference model for past (IBM-1, 2, 3) and proposed IBM (IBM-4) drilling activities. New single-crystal zircon analysis by TIMS supports the interpretation, based on batch SIMS analysis of chemically-abraded zircon1, that the entire upper-middle crustal section accumulated in about 1.5 Myr. Like the IBM, volcanic zircons are very sparse, but zircon chemistry on the plutonic rocks shows trace element compositions that overlap to those measured in IBM volcanic zircons by A. Schmitt (unpublished data). Zircons have U-Pb ages up to 20 Myr older than the eruptive age, suggesting remelting of older parts of the arc, similar to that proposed for IBM (using different evidence). Like IBM, some very old zircons are also present, indicating the presence of old crustal fragments, or sediments derived from them, in the basement. However, our geochemical data show that the magmas are differentiated from a single mantle source, so any older crust that was remelted had the same compositional characteristics. This is similar to previous conclusion that the different parts of the Izu arc have retained their distinct compositions over the last 15 Myr2. 1Busby et al., 2006 JVGR 149, 1-46 2 Hochstaedter et al., 2000 JGR 105, 495-512

Seismic Evidence of Imprints of Malani and Deccan Volcanism in Northwestern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohan, G.; Mangalampally, R. K.; Ahmad, F.

2017-12-01

The evolution of the Neoproterozoic (750 Ma) Malani igneous province(MIP), the site of the largest felsic magmatism in India is debatable with theories supporting extensional tectonics, mantle plume or subduction processes. The MIP that lies to the west of the Proterozoic Aravalli mountain range and east of the Late Mesozoic-Teritary Barmer-Sanchor rift systems, hosts acidic volcanics in an area of 0.5 million sq.km in northwestern India. In this study, the crustal and upper mantle structure beneath the MIP is investigated through a deployment of 12 broadband seismographs in phases, at 18 locations during a period of five years from 2011-2016. The P wave receiver function(RF) analysis was carried out to image the crust and the 410 km and 660 km mantle transition zone discontinuities. About 1500 teleseismic waveforms with signal to noise ratios > 2.5 are utilized. The RFs at most stations are marked by strong conversions from the base of the sediments and the Moho. The crustal thickness estimated through the Neighbourhood algorithm approach, ranges from 35 to 42km. The crustal Poisson's ratio ranges from 0.26 - 0.29. The crustal thickness and Poisson's ratio are observed to increase from west to east viz., from the rift zone to the mountain belt. A significant finding is the presence of a 5-10km thick mid-crustal low velocity zone with a reduced shear velocity of 3.0-3.2km/s. The Ps conversions from the 410km and 660km mantle discontinuities are delayed by about 1sec with respect to the timings predicted by the IASP91 standard earth model. The observed delays are attributed to the reduction in velocity due to compositional/thermal perturbations in the uppermost upper mantle above the 410km discontinuity. The presence of alkaline complexes in MIP which are of pre-Deccan age (68 Ma) led us to surmise that the low velocity anomalies observed in the upper mantle might be linked to the mantle source associated with the 65 Ma Deccan volcanism which erupted further south of MIP. It is likely that the mantle source may have overprinted or obliterated the mantle signatures of the Neoproterozoic tectonic event. However, the intracrustal low velocities overlying an underplated crust in MIP are interpreted to be the compositional imprints of the felsic magma associated with the bimodel Malani volcanism.

A Detailed Geochemical Study of Island Arc Crust: The Talkeetna Arc Section, South-central Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, A. R.; Debari, S. M.; Kelemen, P. B.; Clift, P. D.; Blusztajn, J.

2002-12-01

The Talkeetna arc section in south-central Alaska is recognized as the exposed upper mantle and crust of an accreted, Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic island arc. Detailed geochemical studies of layered gabbronorite from the middle and lower crust of this arc and a diverse suite of volcanic and plutonic rocks from the middle and upper crust provide crucial data for understanding arc magma evolution. We also present new data on parental magma compositions for the arc. The deepest level of the arc section consists of residual mantle and ultramafic cumulates adjacent to garnet gabbro and basal gabbronorite interlayered with pyroxenite. The middle crust is primarily layered gabbronorite, ranging from anorthosite to pyroxenite in composition, and is the most widespread plutonic lithology. The upper mid crust is a heterogenous assemblage of dioritic to tonalitic rocks mixed with gabbro and intruded by abundant mafic dikes and chilled pillows. The upper crust of the arc is comprised of volcanic rocks of the Talkeetna Formation ranging from basalt to rhyolite. Most of these volcanic rocks have evolved compositions (<5% MgO, Mg# <60) and overlap the composition of intermediate to felsic plutonic rocks (<3.5% MgO, Mg# <45). However, several chilled mafic rocks and one basalt have primitive characteristics (>8% MgO, Mg# >60). Ion microprobe analyses of clinopyroxene in mid-crustal layered gabbronorites have parallel REE patterns with positive-sloping LREE segments (La/Sm(N)=0.05-0.17; mean 0.11) and flat HREE segments (5-25xchondrite; mean 10xchondrite). Liquids in REE equilibrium with the clinopyroxene in these gabbronorite cumulates were calculated in order to constrain parental magmas. These calculated liquids(La/Sm(N)=0.77-1.83; mean 1.26) all fall within the range of dike and volcanic rock(La/Sm(N)=0.78-2.12; mean 1.23) compositions. However, three lavas out of the 44 we have analyzed show strong HREE depletion, which is not observed in any of the liquid compositions calculated from clinopyroxene in the gabbronorite samples. Three lavas have Mg# 50-63 (49-57 % SiO2) and two of these are in REE equilibrium with calculated liquids of cumulate gabbronorites. Five chilled samples (three dikes and two mafic inclusions) have Mg# 54-64 (48-52 % SiO2) and lie just below the calculated liquid REE patterns. The most primitive mafic dike (SiO2 =48.1; MgO =8.1 ; Mg# =62.0; Ni =73) represents a well-constrained potential parental magma to the gabbroic cumulates in the mid-crust of the arc, although, like the three primitive basalts, it is not in Fe/Mg equilibrium with the gabbros.The Mg# is too high. Presumably, this parent has lost Ni and MgO to fractionation of ultramafic cumulates at deeper levels of the arc. The average dike REE pattern is nearly identical to the calculated primary magma composition of DeBari and Sleep(1991) for the Talkeetna arc, as are the REE patterns for the chilled pillows. Least-squares mass-balance calculations of mid-crustal gabbronorites indicate pl + cpx + opx + mgt + amph represent the bulk of removed solids. Fractionation of these phases using the most primitive mafic dike described above as the parental composition can produce many of the more evolved volcanic rocks. Fe-Ti oxide accounts for 0.05-12.3 wt% (mean 5.92 wt%) of the sampled cumulates and amphibole represents 0.97-40.1 wt% (mean 16.4 wt%). Fractionation of the observed phases in the cumulate gabbronorite is reflected by TiO2 depletion in the volcanic and intermediate to felsic plutonic rocks of the middle and upper crust.

Inflation of a magma chamber surrounded by poroelastic mush shell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Y.; Soule, S. A.; Jones, M.

2017-12-01

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of crystal-rich mush in crustal magmatic system [Cashman et. al. 2017]. This potential paradigm shift from isolated melt bodies in elastic crust poses new challenges to our previous understanding of igneous processes. Existing models describing the physical processes in a conventional magma plumbing system may require modification to account for the properties of mush. In this study, we demonstrate that the abundance of very crystalline mush between magma lenses and the crustal rocks influences the mechanical coupling between pressurized magma lenses and their surroundings with regard to deformation and melt transport. We develop a conceptual model invoking a simplified geometry and presumed rheological properties of liquid magma, mush and country rock. In our preliminary study, a magma chamber is modeled as a spherical liquid core enveloped by a shell of poroelastic, magma-(and/or)-gas-bearing mush in an infinite domain of elastic country rock. We interrogate the effect of varying physical properties of the system (e.g., geometry) and mush material (e.g., elastic moduli) on the deformation in the liquid core, mush shell and host rock, as well as pressure built-up in the chamber, upon injection of magma into the liquid core. When we allow the pore spaces to be connected in the mush shell, melt can migrate within the permeable matrix, thereby promoting melt segregation or `leaking' from the core to the shell. These initial results highlight the importance of constraining the physical properties of crystal mush in order for us to properly evaluate the mechanics of magmatic system.

Late Cenozoic crustal extension and magmatism, southern Death Valley region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calzia, J.P.; Rämö, O.T.

2000-01-01

The late Cenozoic geologic history of the southern Death Valley region is characterized by coeval crustal extension and magamatism. Crustal extension is accommodated by numerous listric and planar normal faults as well as right- and left-lateral strike slip faults. The normal faults sip 30°-50° near the surface and flatten and merge leozoic miogeoclinal rocks; the strike-slip faults act as tear faults between crustal blocks that have extended at different times and at different rates. Crustal extension began 13.4-13.1 Ma and migrated northwestward with time; undeformed basalt flows and lacustrine deposits suggest that extension stopped in this region (but continued north of the Death Valley graben) between 5 and 7 Ma. Estimates of crustal extension in this region vary from 30-50 percent to more than 100 percent. Magmatic rocks syntectonic with crustal extension in the southern Death Valley region include 12.4-6.4 Ma granitic rocks as well as bimodal 14.0-4.0 Ma volcanic rocks. Geochemical and isotopic evidence suggest that the granitic rocks get younger and less alkalic from south to north; the volcanic rocks become more mafic with less evidence of crustal interaction as they get younger. The close spatial and temporal relation between crustal extension and magmatism suggest a genetic and probably a dynamic relation between these geologic processes. We propose a rectonic-magmatic model that requires heat to be transported into the crust by mantle-derived mafic magmas. These magmas pond at lithologic or rheologic boundaries, begin the crystallize, and partially melt the surrounding crustal rocks. With time, the thermally weakened crust is extended (given a regional extensional stress field) concurrent with granitic magmatism and bimodal volcanism.

Evolution of Slow to Intermediate-Spreading Oceanic Crust in the South Atlantic: The Effects of Age, Sediment Thickness, and Spreading Rate on the Heterogeneity of Upper Crustal Velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kardell, D. A.; Christeson, G. L.; Reece, R.; Carlson, R. L.

2017-12-01

The upper section of oceanic crust (layer 2A) commonly exhibits relatively low seismic velocities due to abundant pore and crack space created by the extrusive emplacement of magma and extensional faulting at the spreading ridge. While this is generally true for all spreading rates, previous studies have shown that slow seafloor spreading can yield much higher levels of upper crustal heterogeneity than observed for faster spreading rates. We use a recent multichannel seismic dataset collected with a 12.5 km streamer during the CREST cruise (Crustal Reflectivity Experiment Southern Transect) to build eleven 60-80 km-long tomographic velocity models. These two-dimensional models include both ridge-normal and ridge-parallel orientations and cover oceanic crust produced at slow to intermediate spreading rates. Crustal ages range between 0 and 70 m.y., spreading rates range between slow-spreading and intermediate-spreading, and sedimentary cover thickness ranges from 0 m close to the spreading center to 500 m proximal to the Rio Grande Rise. Our results show a trend of increasing layer 2A velocities with age out to the midpoint of the seismic transect. There is a rapid increase in velocities from 2.8 km/s near the ridge to 4.3 km/s around 10 Ma, and a slower increase to velocities around 5 km/s in 37 m.y. old crust. While this indicates an ongoing evolution in oceanic crust older than expected, the velocities do level off in the older half of the transect, averaging 5 km/s. Crust covered by a thicker sedimentary section can exhibit velocities up to 1 km/s faster than adjacent non-sedimented crust, accounting for much of the local variations. This is possibly due to the effects of a sealed hydrothermal system. We also observe a more heterogeneous velocity structure parallel to the ridge than in the ridge-normal orientation, and more velocity heterogeneity for slow-spreading crust compared to intermediate-spreading crust.

Episodic construction of the Tatra granitoid intrusion (Central Western Carpathians, Poland/Slovakia): consequences for the geodynamics of Variscan collision and Rheic Ocean closure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawęda, Aleksandra; Burda, Jolanta; Klötzli, Urs; Golonka, Jan; Szopa, Krzysztof

2016-06-01

The Tatra granitoid pluton (Central Western Carpathians, Poland/Slovakia) is an example of composite polygenetic intrusion, comprising many magmatic pulses varying compositionally from diorite to granite. The U-Pb LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon dating of successive magma batches indicates the presence of magmatic episodes at 370-368, 365, 360, 355 and 350-340 Ma, all together covering a time span of 30 Ma of magmatic activity. The partial resorption and recycling of former granitoid material ("petrological cannibalism") was a result of the incremental growth of the pluton and temperature in the range of 750-850 °C. The long-lasting granitoid magmatism was connected to the prolonged subduction of oceanic crust and collision of the Proto-Carpathian Terrane with a volcanic arc and finally with Laurussia, closing the Rheic Ocean. The differences in granitoid composition are the results of different depths of crustal melting. More felsic magmas were generated in the outer zone of the volcanic arc, whilst more mafic magmas were formed in the inner part of the supra-subduction zone. The source rocks of the granitoid magmas covered the compositional range of metapelite-amphibolite and were from both lower and upper crust. The presence of the inherited zircon cores suggests that the collision and granitoid magmatism involved crust of Cadomian consolidation age (c. 530 and 518 Ma) forming the Proto-Carpathian Terrane, crust of Avalonian affinity (462, 426 Ma) and melted metasedimentary rocks of volcanic arc provenance.

Growth of Transgressive Sills in Mechanically Layered Media: Faroe Islands, NE Atlantic Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, R. J.

2014-12-01

Igneous sills represent an important contribution to upper crustal magma transport, acting as magma conduits and stores (i.e. as sill networks, or as nascent magma chambers). Complex sill-network intrusion in basin settings can have significant impact on subsurface fluid flow (e.g., water aquifer and hydrocarbon systems), geothermal systems, the maturation of hydrocarbons, and methane release. Models for these effects are critically dependent on the models for sill emplacement. This study focuses on staircase-geometry sills in the Faroe Islands, on the European Atlantic Margin, which are hosted in mechanically layered lavas (1-20 m thick) and basaltic volcaniclastic units (1-30 m thick). The sills range from 20-50 m thick, with each covering ~17 km2, and transgressing a vertical range of ~480 m. Steps in the sills are elliptical in cross section, and discontinuous laterally, forming smooth transgressive ramps, hence are interpreted as representing initial stages of sill propagation as magma fingers, which inflate through time to create a through-going sheet. Although steps correspond to the position of some host rock layer interfaces and volcaniclastic horizons, most interfaces are bypassed. The overall geometry of the sills is consistent with ENE-WSW compression, and NNW-SSE extension, and stress anisotropy-induced transgression. Local morphology indicates that mechanical layering suppressed tensile stress ahead of the crack tip, leading to a switch in minimum and intermediate stress axes, facilitating lateral sill propagation as fingers, and resulting in a stepped transgressive geometry.

The Origin of Silicic Arc Crust - Insights from the Northern Pacific Volcanic Arcs through Space and Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straub, S. M.; Kelemen, P. B.

2016-12-01

The remarkable compositional similarities of andesitic crust at modern convergent margins and the continental crust has long evoked the hypothesis of similar origins. Key to understanding either genesis is understanding the mode of silica enrichment. Silicic crust cannot be directly extracted from the upper mantle. Hence, in modern arcs, numerous studies - observant of the pervasive and irrefutable evidence of melt mixing - proposed that arc andesites formed by mixing of mantle-derived basaltic melts and fusible silicic material from the overlying crust. Mass balance requires the amount of silicic crust in such hybrid andesites to be on the order to tens of percent, implying that their composition to be perceptibly influenced by the various crustal basements. In order to test this hypothesis, major and trace element compositions of mafic and silicic arc magmas with arc-typical low Ce/Pb< 10 of Northern Pacific arcs (Marianas through Mexico) were combined with Pb isotope ratios. Pb isotope ratios are considered highly sensitive to crustal contamination, and hence should reflect the variable composition of the oceanic and continental basement on which these arcs are constructed. In particular, in thick-crust continental arcs where the basement is isotopically different from the mantle and crustal assimilation thought to be most prevalent, silicic magmas must be expected to be distinct from those of the associated mafic melts. However, in a given arc, the Pb isotope ratios are constant with increasing melt silica regardless of the nature of the basement. This observation argues against a melt origin of silicic melts from the crustal basement and suggest them to be controlled by the same slab flux as their co-eval mafic counterparts. This inference is validated by the spatial and temporal pattern of arc Pb isotope ratios along the Northern Pacific margins and throughout the 50 million years of Cenozoic evolution of the Izu Bonin Mariana arc/trench system that are can be related to with systematic, `real-time' changes in the composition of the slab flux with no role of the crustal basement. In summary, these data suggest that that silicic melts are ultimately genetically linked to the mafic co-eval series from the mantle, by such mechanisms as fractional crystallization, or melt-rock reactions, or a combination of both.

The T-Reflection and the deep crustal structure of the Vøring Margin offshore Mid-Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelmalak, M. M.; Faleide, J. I.; Planke, S.; Gernigon, L.; Zastrozhnov, D.; Shephard, G. E.; Myklebust, R.

2017-12-01

Volcanic passive margins are characterized by massive occurrence of mafic extrusive and intrusive rocks, before and during plate breakup, playing major role in determining the evolution pattern and the deep structure of magma-rich margins. Deep seismic reflection data frequently provide imaging of strong continuous reflections in the middle/lower crust. In this context, we have completed a detailed 2D seismic interpretation of the deep crustal structure of the Vøring volcanic margin, offshore mid-Norway, where high-quality seismic data allow the identification of high-amplitude reflections, locally referred to as the T-Reflection (TR). Using the dense seismic grid we have mapped the top of the TR in order to compare it with filtered Bouguer gravity anomalies and seismic refraction data. The TR is identified between 7 and 10 s. Sometimes it consists of one single smooth reflection. However, it is frequently associated with a set of rough multiple reflections displaying discontinuous segments with varying geometries, amplitude and contact relationships. The TR seems to be connected to deep sill networks and locally located at the continuation of basement high structures or terminates over fractures and faults. The spatial correlation between the filtered positive Bouguer gravity anomalies and the TR indicates that the latter represents a high impedance boundary contrast associated with a high-density/velocity body. Within an uncertainty of ± 2.5 km, the depth of the mapped TR is found to correspond to the depth of the top of the Lower Crustal Body (LCB), characterized by high P-wave velocities (>7 km/s), in 50% of the outer Vøring Margin areas, whereas different depths between the TR and the top LCB are estimated for the remaining areas. We present a tectonic scenario, where a large part of the deep structure could be composed of preserved upper continental basement and middle to lower crustal lenses of inherited and intruded high-grade metamorphic rocks. Deep intrusions into the faulted crustal blocks are responsible for the rough character of the TR, whereas intrusions into the lower crust and detachment faults are likely responsible for its smoother appearance. Deep magma intrusions can be responsible for metamorphic processes leading to an increased velocity of the lower crust of more than 7 km/s.

Evolution of Icelandic Central Volcanoes: Evidence from the Austurhorn Plutonic and Vestmannaeyjar Volcanic Complexes

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

felsic magmas into a laterally extensive warm mafic chamber. Experiments with aqueous solutions suggest that buoyant felsic magma will rise as a plume ...crustal influences and processes . It is widely accepted that the Iceland mantle plume , which supplies this region with copious basalt magmas, is...currently located near Kverkfjoll in the center of the country (e.g., Vink, 1984; figure 1.2). Plume material is geochemically distinct from the mantle

Formation and evolution of magma-poor margins, an example of the West Iberia margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez-Gussinye, Marta; Andres-Martinez, Miguel; Morgan, Jason P.; Ranero, Cesar R.; Reston, Tim

2016-04-01

The West Iberia-Newfoundland (WIM-NF) conjugate margins have been geophysically and geologically surveyed for the last 30 years and have arguably become a paradigm for magma-poor extensional margins. Here we present a coherent picture of the WIM-NF rift to drift evolution that emerges from these observations and numerical modeling, and point out important differences that may exist with other magma-poor margins world-wide. The WIM-NF is characterized by a continental crust that thins asymmetrically and a wide and symmetric continent-ocean transition (COT) interpreted to consist of exhumed and serpentinised mantle with magmatic products increasing oceanward. The architectural evolution of these margins is mainly dominated by cooling under very slow extension velocities (<~6 mm/yr half-rate) and a lower crust that most probably was not extremely weak at the start of rifting. These conditions lead to a system where initially deformation is distributed over a broad area and the upper, lower crust and lithosphere are decoupled. As extension progresses upper, lower, crust and mantle become tightly coupled and deformation localizes due to strengthening and cooling during rifting. Coupling leads to asymmetric asthenospheric uplift and weakening of the hanginwall of the active fault, where a new fault forms. This continued process leads to the formation of an array of sequential faults that dip and become younger oceanward. Here we show that these processes acting in concert: 1) reproduce the margin asymmetry observed at the WIM-NF, 2) explain the fault geometry evolution from planar, to listric to detachment like by having one common Andersonian framework, 3) lead to the symmetric exhumation of mantle with little magmatism, and 4) explain the younging of the syn-rift towards the basin centre and imply that unconformities separating syn- and post-rift may be diachronous and younger towards the ocean. Finally, we show that different lower crustal rheologies lead to different patterns of extension and to an abrupt transition to oceanic crust, even at magma-poor margins.

Geochemical, Sr-Nd isotopic investigations and U-Pb zircon chronology of the Takht granodiorite, west Iran: Evidence for post-collisional magmatism in the northern part of the Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic assemblage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghighi Bardineh, Seyyed Nematollah; Zarei Sahamieh, Reza; Zamanian, Hassan; Ahmadi Khalaji, Ahmad

2018-03-01

Subduction of Neo-Tethys lithosphere beneath the Iranian plateau during Neogene led to the formation of a NW-SE trending volcano-plutonic zone called Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic assemblage (UDMA). The Takht granodiorite (NE of Hamedan Province, western Iran) belongs to the UDMA and has geochemical properties of post-collisional granitoids that was formed after the collision of Arabian and Iranian plateaus. This body contains rounded mafic micro-granular enclaves with relatively gradational rims indicating the effect of magma mixing/mingling in formation of the granodiorite body. The determination of U-Pb zircon age proved the Takht granodiorite was formed at Miocene (16.8 ± 0.24 Ma). The Nd-Sr isotope ratios and Sr/Nd, Nb/La and Th/U ratios of the granodiorite confirmed the magma was formed mainly by melting of continental crust, and its enclaves originated from a mantle derived mafic magma. Samples show negative anomalies in Nb, Sr, Ti, P and Eu, whereas positive anomalies in Th, K, Zr, Yb and Rb that reveals contribution of mantle and crustal materials in their generation. The Takht granodiorite has geochemical features of A2-type granites and also shows properties of both the volcanic arc and within plate magmatism association granitoids (high levels of LILEs and HFSEs). Regarding this interpretation and also post-collisional tectonic regime, it can be concluded that post-collision extensions caused deep faults in the UDMA that let mantle derived magmas rise up to the thicken crust. Such magma triggered melting in the middle crustal levels and was contaminated with crustal materials to generate granodiorite and enclave magmas respectively. The results of the current study decipher collision between the Arabian and the Iranian plateaus occurred before Miocene and the magmatism in the UDMA continued after closure of Neo-Tethys.

Evolution of Volcano-Plutonic Centers in the Northern Colorado River Extensional Corridor, Nevada-Arizona: Protracted Cycles of Replenishment, Mush Accumulation, Fractionation, and Melt Extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, C. F.; Miller, J. S.; Claiborne, L. L.; Walker, B. A.; Faulds, J. E.; Wooden, J. L.

2007-12-01

Three major magmatic systems were simultaneously active during early development of the northern Colorado River extensional corridor. These systems, centered on Spirit Mountain batholith, Searchlight pluton, and Aztec Wash and Nelson plutons, include hypabyssal intrusions as well as coarser, deeper-seated rocks emplaced at depths of 5-13 km. Erupted products of Searchlight are clearly exposed; connections between the other systems and extensive coeval volcanic sequences, while very likely, remain unverified. Intrusion at each center began at 17-18 Ma and terminated with a dike swarm at ca. 15.5 Ma. Dikes, sills, and evidence for mingling document the frequent replenishment suggested by longevity of the centers. Quenched magmas in pillows, dikes, and chilled margins indicate that input included trachybasalt (49- 52 wt pct SiO2), trachydacite (quartz monzonite; 62-65 wt pct SiO2), and low-Si rhyolite (granite; ca. 73 wt pct SiO2); similar magmas formed a large part of the regional volcanic sequence. Some of the basalt may represent juvenile magma from enriched mantle, but Sr and Nd isotopic data indicate that all other input magmas are hybrids with both juvenile and ancient crustal components. Although local mixing is evident from field and geochemical evidence, the system-wide hybridization occurred at deeper crustal levels prior to emplacement into the upper crust. Whole-rock elemental compositions, field relations, crystal-size distributions and textures within the volcanic rocks and co-genetic intrusions indicate repeated cycles of magma emplacement and extraction of fractionated melt from cumulate mush. Cumulates are enriched in Sr and Ba and have positive Eu anomalies relative to input magmas. The melt-rich extracts have high-silica rhyolite compositions. They are exposed in plutons as small dikes and large subhorizontal sheets and roof zones comprising fine-grained, commonly vesicle-rich aplitic granite, and they erupted from the Searchlight center and probably from the others. These rocks are extremely depleted in Sr, Ba, and Eu, and middle REE, low in light REE, P, Ti, and Zr, and enriched in Rb, reflecting fractionation of feldspars and accessory minerals. Their high SiO2 (77-79 wt pct) attests to fractionation at shallow levels, consistent with emplacement depths of the upper parts of the plutons. SHRIMP U-Pb ages and compositional zoning in zircon also indicate repeated cycles of growth from fractionating melts and recycling into less evolved melts. Most samples have two or more distinguishable age populations, and many individual grains show evidence for resorption. Compositions of zones indicate that grains experienced dramatic temperature fluctuations and were transferred from highly fractionated to unfractionated melts. Taken together, these data indicate that the intrusions formed and were modified by repeated (a) felsic replenishment that eventually formed thick crystal mush; (b) mafic replenishments that helped to maintain a thermal balance; (c) extraction of fractionated melt into local conduits or ponding zones, to the roof, or to erupt at the surface; (d) rejuvenation of the mush by the preceding processes, entraining and transporting crystals and blurring previous intrusive contacts.

Mid-Ocean Ridge Melt Supply and Glacial Cycles: A 3D EPR Study of Crustal Thickness, Layer 2A, and Bathymetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulahanis, B.; Aghaei, O.; Carbotte, S. M.; Huybers, P. J.; Langmuir, C. H.; Nedimovic, M. R.; Carton, H. D.; Canales, J. P.

2017-12-01

Recent studies suggest that eustatic sea level fluctuations induced by glacial cycles in the Pleistocene may influence mantle-melting and volcanic eruptions at mid-ocean ridges (MOR), with models predicting variation in oceanic crustal thickness linked to sea level change. Previous analyses of seafloor bathymetry as a proxy for crustal thickness show significant spectral energy at frequencies linked to Milankovitch cycles of 1/23, 1/41, and 1/100 ky-1, however the effects of faulting in seafloor relief and its spectral characteristics are difficult to separate from climatic signals. Here we investigate the hypothesis of climate driven periodicity in MOR magmatism through spectral analysis, time series comparisons, and statistical characterization of bathymetry data, seismic layer 2A thickness (as a proxy for extrusive volcanism), and seafloor-to-Moho thickness (as a proxy for total magma production). We utilize information from a three-dimensional multichannel seismic study of the East Pacific Rise and its flanks from 9°36`N to 9°57`N. We compare these datasets to the paleoclimate "LR04" benthic δ18O stack. The seismic dataset covers 770 km2 and provides resolution of Moho for 92% of the imaged region. This is the only existing high-resolution 3-D image across oceanic crust, making it ideal for assessing the possibility that glacial cycles modulate magma supply at fast spreading MORs. The layer 2A grid extends 9 km (170 ky) from the ridge axis, while Moho imaging extends to a maximum of 16 km (310 ky). Initial results from the East Pacific Rise show a relationship between sea level and both crustal thickness and sea floor depth, consistent with the hypothesis that magma supply to MORs may be modulated by glacial cycles. Analysis of crustal thickness and bathymetry data reveals spectral peaks at Milankovitch frequencies of 1/100 ky-1 and 1/41 ky-1 where datasets extend sufficiently far from the ridge. The layer 2A grid does not extend sufficiently far from the ridge to be conclusive. Correlations between sea level and crustal thickness suggest a lag of 65 ky between sea level forcing and crustal thickness response. A further lag of 25 ky is observed between crustal thickness variations and seafloor depth change, which we attribute to the finite width of the crustal formation zone.

Crustal growth of the Izu-Ogasawara arc estimated from structural characteristics of Oligocene arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, N.; Yamashita, M.; Kodaira, S.; Miura, S.; Sato, T.; No, T.; Tatsumi, Y.

2011-12-01

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) carried out seismic surveys using a multichannel reflection system and ocean bottom seismographs, and we have clarified crustal structures of whole Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin)-Marina (IBM) arc since 2002. These refection images and velocity structures suggest that the crustal evolution in the intra-oceanic island arc accompanies with much interaction of materials between crust and mantle. Slow mantle velocity identified beneath the thick arc crusts suggests that dense crustal materials transformed into the mantle. On the other hand, high velocity lower crust can be seen around the bottom of the crust beneath the rifted region, and it suggests that underplating of mafic materials occurs there. Average crustal production rate of the entire arc is larger than expected one and approximately 200 km3/km/Ma. The production rate of basaltic magmas corresponds to that of oceanic ridge. Repeated crustal differentiation is indispensable to produce much light materials like continental materials, however, the real process cannot still be resolved yet. We, therefore, submitted drilling proposals to obtain in-situ middle crust with P-wave velocity of 6 km/s. In the growth history of the IBM arc, it is known by many papers that boninitic volcanisms preceded current bimodal volcanisms based on basaltic magmas. The current volcanisms accompanied with basaltic magmas have been occurred since Oligocene age, however, the tectonic differences to develop crustal architecture between Oligocene and present are not understood yet. We obtained new refraction/reflection data along an arc strike of N-S in fore-arc region. Then, we estimate crustal structure with severe change of the crustal thickness from refraction data, which are similar to that along the volcanic front. Interval for location of the thick arc crust along N-S is very similar to that along the volcanic front. The refection image indicates that the basement of the fore-arc is covered with thick sediments with the age of Oligocene and that half graben structures are much identified between the Oligocene arc and the current volcanic front. This may suggest that the Oligocene arc in current fore-arc basin is cut off from the current volcanic arc. Therefore, the Oligocene arc in the fore-arc may still keep structural characteristics inside the body since Oligocene age, which are before cutting off from the current volcanic front.

Lower crustal strength controls on melting and type of oceanization at magma-poor margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 (<5 mm/yr) lead to either symmetric or asymmetric margins with large oceanward dipping faults, strong syn-rift subsidence and abrupt crustal tapering beneath the continental shelf. These margins are characterized by a COT consisting of exhumed and serpentinized mantle and some magmatic products. Weak lower crusts at ultra-slow velocities lead also to either symmetric or asymmetric margins with small faults dipping both ocean- and landward, small syn-rift subsidence and gentle crustal tapering, and present a predominantly magmatic COT, perhaps underlain by some serpentinized mantle. When conjugate margins are asymmetric, if the rheology is relatively strong, serpentinite predominantly underlays the wide margin, whereas if the lower crustal strength is weak, melt preferentially migrates towards the wide margin. Based on the onshore lithospheric structure, extension velocity and margin 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.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wadge, G.

Some volcanoes erupt magma at average rates which are constant over periods of many years, even through this magma may appear in a complex series of eruptions. This constancy of output is tested by construction of a curve of cumulative volume of erupted magma, which is linear for steady state volcanism, and whose gradient defines the steady state rate Q/sub s/s. The assumption is made that Q/sub s/s is the rate at which magma is supplied to these polygenetic volcanoes. Five general types of eruptive behavior can be distinguished from the cumulative volume studied. These types are interpreted in termsmore » of a simple model of batches of magma rising buoyantly through the crust and interacting with a small-capacity subvolcanic magma reservoir. Recognition of previous steady state behavior at a volcano may enable the cumulative volume curve to be used empirically as a constraint on the timing and volume of the next eruption. The steady state model thus has a limited predictive capability. With the exception of Kilauea (O/sub s/s = 4m/sup 3/ s/sup -1/) all the identified steady state volcanoes have values of Q/sub s/s of a few tenths of one cubic meter per second. These rates are consistent with the minimum flux rates required by theoretical cooling models of batches of magma traversing the crust. The similarity of these Q/sub s/s values of volcanoes (producing basalt, andesite, and dacite magmas) in very different tectonic settings suggests that the common factors of crustal buoyancy forces and the geotherm-controlled cooling rates control the dynamics of magma supply through the crust. Long-term dormancy at active volcanoes may be a manifestation of the steady accumulation of magma in large crustal reservoirs, a process that complements the intermittent periods of steady state output at the surface. This possibility has several implications, the most important of which is that it provides a constraint on the supply rate of new magma to the bases of plutons.« less

Structural control on volcanoes and magma paths from local- to orogen-scale: The central Andes case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tibaldi, A.; Bonali, F. L.; Corazzato, C.

2017-03-01

Assessing the parameters that control the location and geometry of magma paths is of paramount importance for the comprehension of volcanic plumbing systems and geo-hazards. We analyse the distribution of 1518 monogenic and polygenic volcanoes of Miocene-Quaternary age of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes (Chile-Bolivia-Argentina), and reconstruct the magma paths at 315 edifices by analysing the morphostructural characteristics of craters and cones. Then we compare these data with outcropping dykes, tectonic structures and state of stress. Most magma paths trend N-S, NW-SE, and NE-SW, in decreasing order of frequency. The N-S and NW-SE paths coexist in the northern and southern part of the study area, whereas N-S paths dominate east of the Salar de Atacama. Outcropping dykes show the same trends. The regional Holocene stress state is given by an E-W greatest horizontal principal stress. N-S and NNE-SSW reverse faults and folds affect deposits of 4.8, 3.2 and 1.3 Ma BP, especially in the central and southern study areas. A few NW-SE left-lateral strike-slip faults are present in the interior of the volcanic arc, part of which belong to the Calama-Olacapato-El Toro fault. The volcanic chain is also affected by several N-S- and NW-SE-striking normal faults that offset Pliocene and Quaternary deposits. The results indicate different scenarios of magma-tectonic interaction, given by N-S normal and reverse faults and N-S fold hinges that guide volcano emplacement and magma paths. Magma paths are also guided by strike-slip and normal NW-SE faults, especially in the northern part of the study area. Zones with verticalized strata, with bedding striking NE-SW, also acted as preferential magma paths. These data suggest that at convergence zones with continental crust, shallow magma paths can be more sensitive to the presence and geometry of upper crustal weakness zones than to the regional state of stress.

Magma Differentiation and Storage Inferred from Crystal Textures at Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witter, M. R.; Mahood, G. A.; Stelten, M. E.; Downs, D. T.; Zahran, H. M.

2015-12-01

We present results of a petrographic study of Harrat Rahat volcanic field in western Saudi Arabia as part of a collaborative project between the U.S.G.S. and the Saudi Geological Survey. Lavas range in composition from alkali basalt to trachyphonolite. Basalts have <2-10 vol.% phenocrysts of euhedral olivine and plagioclase (± minor clinopyroxene). In intermediate lavas, phenocrysts (<5 vol.%) of olivine and plagioclase are resorbed, and plagioclase also exhibits sieve textures and strong zoning, indicative of complex magmatic histories. Trachyphonolite lavas have 0-35 vol.% large phenocrysts of anorthoclase and trace fayalitic olivine but are characterized by a size distribution of crystals that is seriate in hand specimen, so that most exceeded 45% crystals at the time of eruption. Some contain groundmass alkali amphibole. Crystal size distributions (CSD) of crystal-rich trachyphonolites produce simple linear trends (see below), which are interpreted as signifying that all the crystals are related through a common nucleation and growth history, at more or less constant pressure. Linear CSDs indicate no loss of small crystals due to reheating of magmas by recharge, no gain of small crystals due to late-stage nucleation on ascent or degassing, and no addition of large phenocrysts by crystal accumulation or magma mixing. Experimental studies demonstrate that silica-undersaturated evolved magmas like those erupted at Harrat Rahat can form by fractionation of alkali basalts at crustal depths greater than ~25 km. The observed phenocryst assemblage in the trachyphonolites, however, forms at shallow depths, ~2-4 km, according to MELTS modeling. Coupled with CSD data, this suggests that deep extraction events yield crystal-poor trachyphonolite magmas that rise to the upper crust where they undergo crystallization. Extensive shallow crystallization of trachyphonolites may have triggered eruptions by causing vapor saturation, which lowers magma density via vesiculation and has the potential to explosively disrupt wallrocks. Based on the complex crystal textures in the intermediate lavas and their similarity in age to the trachyphonolites, ~120 ka, we suggest that most of the intermediate magmas form by magma mixing when rising basalts intercept and entrain shallow trachyphonolite magma.

The Relation Between Plate Spreading Rate, Crustal Thickness and Axial Relief at Mid-Ocean Ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Buck, W. R.

2017-12-01

Variations in axial valley relief and in faulting at plate spreading centers are clearly related to magma supply and axial lithospheric structure. Previous models that consider the interaction of magmatic dikes with lithospheric stretching do not successfully reproduce both of these trends. We present the first model that reproduces these trends by making simple assumptions about the partitioning of magma between dikes, gabbros and extrusives. A key concept is that dikes open not only in the brittle axial lithosphere but also into the underlying ductile crust, where they cool to form gabbro. The amount of gabbro so intruded depends on magma pressure that is related to axial relief. The deeper the valley the less magma goes into gabbros and the more magma is available for dikes to accommodate plate separation. We define the fraction of plate separation rate accommodated by dikes as M. If M<1 then part of the plate separation occurs as fault offset which deepens the axial valley. This axial deepening decreases the amount of magma go into gabbros and this increases M. If the valley reaches the depth where M =1 then the faulting ceases and the valley stays at that depth. However, even if M<1, the valley depth cannot increase without limit. Through a distributed pattern of tectonic faults, the valley depth reaches a maximum possible depth that depends on the thickness of the axial lithosphere. If M < 1, where the axial depth reaches this tectonic limit, then moderate to large offset faults can develop. If M = 1 before the depth reaches the tectonic limit, normal faults only develop in response to oscillations in magma supply and fault offset is proportional to the amount of extruded lava. We have derived analytic expressions relates axial lithospheric thickness (HL) and crustal thickness (Hc) to axial valley depth. We then used a 2D model numerical model with a fixed axial lithospheric structure to show that the analytic model predictions are reasonable. Finally, we describe themo-mechanical models that allow us to relate plate spreading rate and crustal thickness and to axial valley depth.

The 12.4 ka Upper Apoyeque Tephra, Nicaragua: stratigraphy, dispersal, composition, magma reservoir conditions and trigger of the plinian eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehrmann, Heidi; Freundt, Armin; Kutterolf, Steffen

2016-06-01

Upper Apoyeque Tephra (UAq) was formed by a rhyodacitic plinian eruption in west-central Nicaragua at 12.4 ka BP. The fallout tephra was dispersed from a progressively rising plinian eruption column that became exposed to different wind speeds and directions at different heights in the stratosphere, leading to an asymmetric tephra fan with different facies in the western and southern sector. Tephra dispersal data integrated with geochemical compositions of lava flows in the area facilitate delimitation of the source vent to the south of Chiltepe Peninsula. UAq, Lower Apoyeque Tephra, Apoyeque Ignimbrite, and two lava lithic clasts in San Isidro Tephra together form a differentiation trend distinct from that of the younger tephras and lavas at Chiltepe Volcanic Complex in a TiO2 versus K2O diagram, compositionally precluding a genetic relationship of UAq with the present-day Apoyeque stratovolcano. Apoyeque Volcano in its present shape did not exist at the time of the UAq eruption. The surface expression of the UAq vent is now obscured by younger eruption products and lake water. Pressure-temperature constraints based on mineral-melt equilibria and fluid inclusions in plagioclase indicate at least two magma storage levels. Clinopyroxenes crystallised in a deep crustal reservoir at ˜24 km depth as inferred from clinopyroxene-melt inclusion pairs. Chemical disequilibrium between clinopyroxenes and matrix glasses indicates rapid magma ascent to the shallower reservoir at ˜5.4 km depth, where magnesiohornblendes and plagioclase fractionated at a temperature of ˜830 °C. Water concentrations were ˜5.5 wt.% as derived from congruent results of amphibole and plagioclase-melt hygrometry. The eruption was triggered by injection of a hotter, more primitive melt into a water-supersaturated reservoir.

Fast Spreading Mid Ocean Ridge Magma Chamber Processes: New Constraints from Hess Deep

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, C. J.; Lissenberg, J. C.; Howard, K. A.; Ildefonse, B.; Morris, A.; JC21 Scientific Party

2011-12-01

Hess Deep, on the northern edge of the Galapagos Microplate, is a rift valley located at the tip of the Cocos Nazca spreading centre. It is actively propagating westwards into young lithosphere formed at the East Pacific Rise (EPR). Previous studies have shown that the centre of Hess Deep, in the vicinity of a horst block termed the intra-rift ridge (IRR), is characterised by outcrops of gabbro and (minor) peridotite that form the most extensive and complete exposure yet known of lower crust and shallow mantle from a fast spreading mid-ocean ridge. In the absence of a total crustal penetration borehole, the tectonic window of Hess Deep provides our best opportunity to study fast-spreading magma chamber processes and lower crustal accretion by direct observation. Using the Isis ROV we collected high-resolution bathymetry and video data from an 11 sq km area of seafloor, from the nadir of Hess Deep (5400 mbsl) up to the IRR, and sampled outcrops from the region in detail. Of 145 samples in total 94 were gabbro (s.l.). Accounting as much as possible for the complex tectonic disruption of the region we have reassembled these gabbros into a stratigraphic section through an EPR lower crust that we estimate to have been originally about 4350 m thick. The upper half of this plutonic section, which includes a dyke to gabbro transition at the top, is more or less intact on the IRR; however the lower half has been tectonically thinned by active gravity driven faulting and is incomplete. Within this lower section we nevertheless believe we have representative samples from the entire interval. At its base, in addition to primitive olivine gabbro we also recovered dunite, troctolite and residual mantle harzburgite. We here present a synthesis of the petrography and whole rock and mineral compositions of the gabbros from the reconstructed lower crustal section, coupled with a quantitative (electron backscatter diffraction and magnetic) study of their petrofabrics. From this, in conjunction with the mineral trace element constraints presented elsewhere in this session by Lissenberg et al., we review the constraints they provide upon magma chamber models derived from the Oman ophiolite. Whether through sheeted sills or otherwise we conclude that in situ crystallisation mechanisms dominate, and that wholesale gabbro glacier crystal subsidence is unlikely to be an important mechanism.

There and back again: The life and death of magma permeability in volcanic conduits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadsworth, F. B.; Vasseur, J.; Llewellin, E. W.; Lavallée, Y.; Kendrick, J. E.; Dobson, K. J.; Heap, M. J.; Kushnir, A. R.; Dingwell, D. B.

2017-12-01

Permeability of magma to gas is one of the key controls on the propoensity for explosive volcanism on the terrestrial planets. The magma filling upper-crustal volcanic conduits must become permeable in order for gas overpressure in pore spaces to dissipate. Once permeable, magma may densify and the pore network may re-seal itself. Permeability may be developed in one or more of 3 end-member pore-space geometries: (1) bubble-dominated, (2) crack-dominated, or (3) particle dominated. We take each geometry in turn and explore how we can scale the evolution of permeability with porosity. To do this we use 3 different data types. First, we compile the large body of published measurements of natural, synthetic and analogue volcanic rocks covering a range of pore space complexity. Second, we compile and conduct in situ measurements of permeability evolution for densifying granular systems or crack-formation in deforming magmas. Third, we conduct stochastic simulations in which we systematically build random heterogeneous porous media from overlapping spheres and use lattice-Boltzmann simulations of fluid flow to find the permeability. These data permit us to isolate individual controls on the permeability in each geometry in turn. Permeability can be readily formed by bubble coalescence, fracturing or fragmentation, and by forced gas percolation. Similarly, permeability can be reduced by bubble shrinking and pinch off, fracture healing, and volcanic welding. We broadly consider the kinetics of these processes and provide useful tools for predicting the longevity of different permeable network types. We summarize these findings by considering the potential of silicic volcanoes to outgas prior to significant overpressure buildup, possibly controlling the liklihood of large explosive behaviour.

Orphan Basin crustal structure from a dense wide-angle seismic profile - Tomographic inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watremez, Louise; Lau, K. W. Helen; Nedimović, Mladen R.; Louden, Keith E.; Karner, Garry D.

2014-05-01

Orphan Basin is located on the eastern margin of Canada, offshore of Newfoundland and East of Flemish Cap. It is an aborted continental rift formed by multiple episodes of rifting. The crustal structure across the basin has been determined by an earlier refraction study using 15 instruments on a 550 km long line. It shows that the continental crust was extended over an unusually wide region but did not break apart. The crustal structure of the basin thus documents stages in the formation of a magma-poor rifted margin up to crustal breakup. The OBWAVE (Orphan Basin Wide-Angle Velocity Experiment) survey was carried out to image crustal structures across the basin and better understand the processes of formation of this margin. The spacing of the 89 recording stations varies from 3 to 5 km along this 500-km-long line, which was acquired along a pre-existing reflection line. The highest resolution section corresponds to the part of the profile where the crust was expected to be the thinnest. We present the results from a joint tomography inversion of first and Moho reflected arrival times. The high data density allows us to define crustal structures with greater detail than for typical studies and to improve the understanding of the processes leading to the extreme stretching of continental crust. The final model was computed following a detailed parametric study to determine the optimal parameters controlling the ray-tracing and the inversion processes. The final model shows very good resolution. In particular, Monte Carlo standard deviations of crustal velocities and Moho depths are generally < 50 m/s and within 1 km, respectively. In comparison to the velocity models of typical seismic refraction profiles, results from the OBWAVE study show a notable improvement in the resolution of the velocity model and in the level of detail observed using the least a priori information possible. The final model allows us to determine the crustal thinning and variable structures across the basin. In particular, we observe (1) a zone of extreme thinning, where the crust is thinner than 7 km; (2) basement highs and lows highlighting the blocks that accommodate the crustal thinning; (3) a central block that is thicker compared to the rest of the basin; (4) lower crustal thinning that is highly variable, which suggests a ductile deformation in the lower crust and an extensional discrepancy between the upper and lower crust (DDS); and (5) no evidence for upper-mantle serpentinization under the ultra-thinned crust. Furthermore, we show the importance of structural inheritance in rifting of the Avalon crust. Thus, we suggest that Orphan Basin is the result of rifting of a non-homogeneous Avalon terrane where the lower crust is primarily ductile.

Pluton emplacement within an extensional transfer zone during dextral strike-slip faulting: an example from the late Archaean Abitibi Greenstone Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacroix, S.; Sawyer, E. W.; Chown, E. H.

1998-01-01

The Lake Abitibi area within the late Archaean Abitibi Greenstone Belt exhibits an interlinked plutonic, structural and metamorphic evolution that may characterize segmented strike-slip faults at upper-to-mid-crustal levels. Along the major, southeastward propagating Macamic D2 dextral strike-slip fault, Theological and preexisting D1 structural heterogeneities induced the development of NNW-trending dextral-oblique splays which evolved into an extensional trailing fan and created an extensional, NNW-dipping stepover. Magma flowing upwards from deeper parts of the Macamic Fault spread towards the southeast at upper crustal levels along both the oblique-slip and extensional D2 splays, and built several plutons in a pull-apart domain between 2696 and 2690 Ma. Different emplacement and material transfer mechanisms operated simultaneously in different parts of the system, including fault dilation and wedging, lateral expansion, wall-rock ductile flow and stoping. Transfer of movement between D2 splays occurred under ductile conditions during syn-emplacement, amphibolite-grade metamorphism (500-700 °C). During cooling (< 2690 Ma), narrower brittle-ductile zones of greenschist-grade shearing were concentrated along the pluton-wall rock contacts, but the extensional stepover locked since both normal and reverse movements occurred along NNW-dipping faults. Pluton emplacement, contact metamorphism and propagation of D2 faults appear to have been closely linked during the Superior Province-wide late transpressional event.

Three-Dimensional Seismic Structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: An Investigation of Tectonic, Magmatic, and Hydrothermal Processes in the Rainbow Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, Robert A.; Arai, Ryuta; Eason, Deborah E.; Canales, J. Pablo; Sohn, Robert A.

2017-12-01

To test models of tectonic, magmatic, and hydrothermal processes along slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges, we analyzed seismic refraction data from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge INtegrated Experiments at Rainbow (MARINER) seismic and geophysical mapping experiment. Centered at the Rainbow area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (36°14'N), this study examines a section of ridge with volcanically active segments and a relatively amagmatic ridge offset that hosts the ultramafic Rainbow massif and its high-temperature hydrothermal vent field. Tomographic images of the crust and upper mantle show segment-scale variations in crustal structure, thickness, and the crust-mantle transition, which forms a vertical gradient rather than a sharp boundary. There is little definitive evidence for large regions of sustained high temperatures and melt in the lower crust or upper mantle along the ridge axes, suggesting that melts rising from the mantle intrude as small intermittent magma bodies at crustal and subcrustal levels. The images reveal large rotated crustal blocks, which extend to mantle depths in some places, corresponding to off-axis normal fault locations. Low velocities cap the Rainbow massif, suggesting an extensive near-surface alteration zone due to low-temperature fluid-rock reactions. Within the interior of the massif, seismic images suggest a mixture of peridotite and gabbroic intrusions, with little serpentinization. Here diffuse microearthquake activity indicates a brittle deformation regime supporting a broad network of cracks. Beneath the Rainbow hydrothermal vent field, fluid circulation is largely driven by the heat of small cooling melt bodies intruded into the base of the massif and channeled by the crack network and shallow faults.

Chronological evidence that the Moon is either young or did not have a global magma ocean.

PubMed

Borg, Lars E; Connelly, James N; Boyet, Maud; Carlson, Richard W

2011-08-17

Chemical evolution of planetary bodies, ranging from asteroids to the large rocky planets, is thought to begin with differentiation through solidification of magma oceans many hundreds of kilometres in depth. The Earth's Moon is the archetypical example of this type of differentiation. Evidence for a lunar magma ocean is derived largely from the widespread distribution, compositional and mineralogical characteristics, and ancient ages inferred for the ferroan anorthosite (FAN) suite of lunar crustal rocks. The FANs are considered to be primary lunar flotation-cumulate crust that crystallized in the latter stages of magma ocean solidification. According to this theory, FANs represent the oldest lunar crustal rock type. Attempts to date this rock suite have yielded ambiguous results, however, because individual isochron measurements are typically incompatible with the geochemical make-up of the samples, and have not been confirmed by additional isotopic systems. By making improvements to the standard isotopic techniques, we report here the age of crystallization of FAN 60025 using the (207)Pb-(206)Pb, (147)Sm-(143)Nd and (146)Sm-(142)Nd isotopic systems to be 4,360 ± 3 million years. This extraordinarily young age requires that either the Moon solidified significantly later than most previous estimates or the long-held assumption that FANs are flotation cumulates of a primordial magma ocean is incorrect. If the latter is correct, then much of the lunar crust may have been produced by non-magma-ocean processes, such as serial magmatism.

Chronological evidence that the Moon is either young or did not have a global magma ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borg, Lars E.; Connelly, James N.; Boyet, Maud; Carlson, Richard W.

2011-09-01

Chemical evolution of planetary bodies, ranging from asteroids to the large rocky planets, is thought to begin with differentiation through solidification of magma oceans many hundreds of kilometres in depth. The Earth's Moon is the archetypical example of this type of differentiation. Evidence for a lunar magma ocean is derived largely from the widespread distribution, compositional and mineralogical characteristics, and ancient ages inferred for the ferroan anorthosite (FAN) suite of lunar crustal rocks. The FANs are considered to be primary lunar flotation-cumulate crust that crystallized in the latter stages of magma ocean solidification. According to this theory, FANs represent the oldest lunar crustal rock type. Attempts to date this rock suite have yielded ambiguous results, however, because individual isochron measurements are typically incompatible with the geochemical make-up of the samples, and have not been confirmed by additional isotopic systems. By making improvements to the standard isotopic techniques, we report here the age of crystallization of FAN 60025 using the 207Pb-206Pb, 147Sm-143Nd and 146Sm-142Nd isotopic systems to be 4,360+/-3 million years. This extraordinarily young age requires that either the Moon solidified significantly later than most previous estimates or the long-held assumption that FANs are flotation cumulates of a primordial magma ocean is incorrect. If the latter is correct, then much of the lunar crust may have been produced by non-magma-ocean processes, such as serial magmatism.

An isotopic perspective on growth and differentiation of Proterozoic orogenic crust: From subduction magmatism to cratonization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Simon P.; Korhonen, Fawna J.; Kirkland, Christopher L.; Cliff, John B.; Belousova, Elena A.; Sheppard, Stephen

2017-01-01

The in situ chemical differentiation of continental crust ultimately leads to the long-term stability of the continents. This process, more commonly known as 'cratonization', is driven by deep crustal melting with the transfer of those melts to shallower regions resulting in a strongly chemically stratified crust, with a refractory, dehydrated lower portion overlain by a complementary enriched upper portion. Since the lower to mid portions of continental crust are rarely exposed, investigation of the cratonization process must be through indirect methods. In this study we use in situ Hf and O isotope compositions of both magmatic and inherited zircons from several felsic magmatic suites in the Capricorn Orogen of Western Australia to highlight the differentiation history (i.e. cratonization) of this portion of late Archean to Proterozoic orogenic crust. The Capricorn Orogen shows a distinct tectonomagmatic history that evolves from an active continental margin through to intracratonic reworking, ultimately leading to thermally stable crust that responds similarly to the bounding Archean Pilbara and Yilgarn Cratons. The majority of magmatic zircons from the main magmatic cycles have Hf isotopic compositions that are generally more evolved than CHUR, forming vertical arrays that extend to moderately radiogenic compositions. Complimentary O isotope data, also show a significant variation in composition. However, combined, these data define not only the source components from which the magmas were derived, but also a range of physio-chemical processes that operated during magma transport and emplacement. These data also identify a previously unknown crustal reservoir in the Capricorn Orogen.

Magma Plumbing System at a Young Back-Arc Spreading Center: The Marsili Volcano, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trua, T.; Marani, M. P.; Gamberi, F.

2018-01-01

Although spreading rate is commonly taken as a proxy for decompression mantle melting at mid-ocean ridges (MORs), magmatism at back-arc spreading centers (BASCs) is further influenced by the subduction-related flux melting of the mantle. These regions consequently show a diversity of crustal structures, lava compositions, and morphologies not typically found in MORs. Here we investigate the crustal plumbing system of the small-scale, Marsili back-arc spreading center of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea using plagioclase data from a wide spectrum of lavas (basalts to andesites) dredged from its summit and flanks. We employ petrological modeling to identify the plagioclase populations carried in the individual lavas, allocate them to plausible magmatic components present within the plumbing system, and trace the processes occurring during magma ascent to the surface. The properties of the system, such as mush porosity and abundance of the melt bodies, vary from one magma extraction zone to another along the BASC, evidencing the local variability of melt supply conditions. The plagioclase crystals document a range of relationships with the host lavas, indicating magma extraction from a composite, vertically extensive mush and melt-lens system resembling that of MORs. At the same time, however, in small BASCs, such as in the case of the Marsili Basin, crustal accretion and resulting morphology are significantly influenced by the three-dimensional setting of the basin margins. This is an important deviation from the conventional model based on the linear continuity and essentially two-dimensional framework of MORs.

Magma oceanography. II - Chemical evolution and crustal formation. [lunar crustal rock fractional crystallization model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Longhi, J.

1977-01-01

A description is presented of an empirical model of fractional crystallization which predicts that slightly modified versions of certain of the proposed whole moon compositions can reproduce the major-element chemistry and mineralogy of most of the primitive highland rocks through equilibrium and fractional crystallization processes combined with accumulation of crystals and trapping of residual liquids. These compositions contain sufficient Al to form a plagioclase-rich crust 60 km thick on top of a magma ocean that was initially no deeper than about 300 km. Implicit in the model are the assumptions that all cooling and crystallization take place at low pressure and that there are no compositional or thermal gradients in the liquid. Discussions of the cooling and crystallization of the proposed magma ocean show these assumptions to be disturbingly naive when applied to the ocean as a whole. However, the model need not be applied to the whole ocean, but only to layers of cooling liquid near the surface.

A Geochemical Comparison of the Northern Peninsular Ranges Batholith in Southern California and the Coastal Batholith in Southern Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clausen, B. L.; Martínez Ardila, A. M.; Morton, D. M.

2010-12-01

An extensive geochemical data set from the northern Peninsular Ranges Batholith (PRB) in southern California is compared and contrasted with the Arequipa segment of the Peruvian Coastal Batholith, including new granitoid samples recently collected near Ica (14°S, 76°W). The data include major and trace elements and Sr isotope ratios. This is part of an on-going study of subduction-related magmatism to refine a petrogenetic model of crust formation at plate boundaries, with a particular interest in the role of magma mixing. Research in the northern PRB suggests that continental crust is formed in several cycles: (1) mantle melting to give mafic volcanics and gabbroic intrusives, (2) basalt/gabbro melting to give felsic granitoids uncontaminated by continental crust and having low initial 87Sr/86Sr (Sri) values less than 0.704, and (3) crustal melting to give high Sri values greater than 0.704. Geochemical evidence was used to determine the extent of mixing between mafic and felsic magma that produced rocks of intermediate SiO2 composition. These differentiation cycles formed a west to east chronologic sequence and yielded granitoids of gabbro, tonalite, and granodiorite composition. Using principal component analysis on the northern PRB granitoids, the four factors affecting geochemical composition were categorized as differentiation, crustal contamination, depth of magma source, and conditions that yield a range from calcic to more alkaline granitoids. A similar major and trace element analysis is being done for a classic result of subduction in the Peruvian Coastal Batholith. The Peruvian samples recently collected include granitoids of the upper Cretaceous Coastal Batholith, as well as the associated volcanics of Cretaceous and Jurassic age. The Coastal Batholith samples include a range of granitoids from the early gabbros and from the four batholithic super-units (from west to east: Linga, Pampahuasi, Tiabaya, and Incahuasi) containing a combination of diorite, tonalite, monzonite, and granodiorite. In addition, samples were taken from the adjacent Precambrian basement and Paleozoic San Nicolas batholith in order to estimate the local geochemistry for continental crust contamination and to compare with published crustal averages. For this part of the Coastal Batholith, gabbroic plutons that formed during extension have little contamination from continental crust; the time-separated super-units form distinct assemblages; some of the super-units went through several differentiation cycles; parts of the Linga super-unit have low Sri ratios below 0.704; and magma mixing played an important role. The Coastal Batholith of western Peru (similar to the eastern PRB) has an intermediate calc-alkaline composition, in comparison to batholiths in Chile (similar to the western PRB) that are more calcic and those in eastern Peru (similar to the Sierra Nevadas) that are more alkaline.

Extensive, water-rich magma reservoir beneath southern Montserrat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmonds, M.; Kohn, S. C.; Hauri, E. H.; Humphreys, M. C. S.; Cassidy, M.

2016-05-01

South Soufrière Hills and Soufrière Hills volcanoes are 2 km apart at the southern end of the island of Montserrat, West Indies. Their magmas are distinct geochemically, despite these volcanoes having been active contemporaneously at 131-129 ka. We use the water content of pyroxenes and melt inclusion data to reconstruct the bulk water contents of magmas and their depth of storage prior to eruption. Pyroxenes contain up to 281 ppm H2O, with significant variability between crystals and from core to rim in individual crystals. The Al content of the enstatites from Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV) is used to constrain melt-pyroxene partitioning for H2O. The SHV enstatite cores record melt water contents of 6-9 wt%. Pyroxene and melt inclusion water concentration pairs from South Soufriere Hills basalts independently constrain pyroxene-melt partitioning of water and produces a comparable range in melt water concentrations. Melt inclusions recorded in plagioclase and in pyroxene contain up to 6.3 wt% H2O. When combined with realistic melt CO2 contents, the depth of magma storage for both volcanoes ranges from 5 to 16 km. The data are consistent with a vertically protracted crystal mush in the upper crust beneath the southern part of Montserrat which contains heterogeneous bodies of eruptible magma. The high water contents of the magmas suggest that they contain a high proportion of exsolved fluids, which has implications for the rheology of the mush and timescales for mush reorganisation prior to eruption. A depletion in water in the outer 50-100 μm of a subset of pyroxenes from pumices from a Vulcanian explosion at Soufrière Hills in 2003 is consistent with diffusive loss of hydrogen during magma ascent over 5-13 h. These timescales are similar to the mean time periods between explosions in 1997 and in 2003, raising the possibility that the driving force for this repetitive explosive behaviour lies not in the shallow system, but in the deeper parts of a vertically protracted crustal magma storage system.

Magnetic fabric in granitoid plutons emplaced during Variscan orogeny and timing of their intrusions: Eastern Variscan front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hrouda, F.; Schulmann, K.; Chlupacova, M.; Aichler, J.; Mixa, P.; Pecina, V.; Zacek, V.; Kroener, A.

2003-04-01

The eastern Variscan front at the Czech and Polish border is characterised by oblique underthrusting of Neo-Proterozoic continental margin below thickened crustal root. The underthrust plate is subsequently imbricated and forms obliquely convergent crustal wedge which was further thrust over the foreland. Several granitic plutons of arc geochemical affinity are intruded during different stages of crustal thickening and exhumation. Analysis of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility was carried out to study the relationships between host rock deformation and magma emplacement fabrics in different crustal levels and geographical positions with respect to crustal wedge and westerly orogenic root. Deep seated granodiorite sheets (Javornik intrusion 348 Ma, and Stare Mesto sill 340 Ma) are emplaced in the deepest and more internal high grade parts of the orogen along the margin of thickened crustal root. They show AMS fabrics entirely concordant with surrounding high grade gneisses and were emplaced during contractional (transpressive) regime.The Sumperk granodiorite is a more shallow intrusion emplaced in the central part of the crustal wedge. This sheet-like intrusion shows its AMS fabrics conformable to transpressional fabrics of surrounding mylonitised barovian schists and gneisses. The Zulova Pluton 330 Ma, representing the shallowest intrusion, intrudes the most external part of the crustal wedge. It shows the magnetic fabrics virtually perpendicular to compressional structures in the neighbouring areas. In addition, these fabrics are clearly concordant with large-scale detachment zone along which the Devonian meta-sedimentary cover slided to the west. The AMS fabrics of granitoids thus testify the progressive oblique convergence prograding to the east followed by collapse of external part of orogenic wedge. The AMS fabric data allow us to evaluate the mechanical role of arc magmas syntectonically emplaced during oblique convergence and finally during normal shearing perpendicular to the orogen.

Stability of rift axis magma reservoirs: Spatial and temporal evolution of magma supply in the Dabbahu rift segment (Afar, Ethiopia) over the past 30 kyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medynski, S.; Pik, R.; Burnard, P.; Vye-Brown, C.; France, L.; Schimmelpfennig, I.; Whaler, K.; Johnson, N.; Benedetti, L.; Ayelew, D.; Yirgu, G.

2015-01-01

Unravelling the volcanic history of the Dabbahu/Manda Hararo rift segment in the Afar depression (Ethiopia) using a combination of cosmogenic (36Cl and 3He) surface exposure dating of basaltic lava-flows, field observations, geological mapping and geochemistry, we show in this paper that magmatic activity in this rift segment alternates between two distinct magma chambers. Recent activity in the Dabbahu rift (notably the 2005-2010 dyking crises) has been fed by a seismically well-identified magma reservoir within the rift axis, and we show here that this magma body has been active over the last 30 kyr. However, in addition to this axial magma reservoir, we highlight in this paper the importance of a second, distinct magma reservoir, located 15 km west of the current axis, which has been the principal focus of magma accumulation from 15 ka to the subrecent. Magma supply to the axial reservoir substantially decreased between 20 ka and the present day, while the flank reservoir appears to have been regularly supplied with magma since 15 ka ago, resulting in less variably differentiated lavas. The trace element characteristics of magmas from both reservoirs were generated by variable degrees of partial melting of a single homogeneous mantle source, but their respective magmas evolved separately in distinct crustal plumbing systems. Magmatism in the Dabbahu/Manda Hararo rift segment is not focussed within the current axial depression but instead is spread out over at least 15 km on the western flank. This is consistent with magneto-telluric observations which show that two magma bodies are present below the segment, with the main accumulation of magma currently located below the western flank, precisely where the most voluminous recent (<15 ka) flank volcanism is observed at the surface. Applying these observations to slow spreading mid-ocean ridges indicates that magma bodies likely have a lifetime of a least 20 ka, and that the continuity of magmatic activity is maintained by a system of separate relaying reservoirs, which could in return control the location of spreading. This long term (>105 yr) alternation between distinct crustal reservoirs located broadly at the same location relative to the segment appears to be a key feature for organizing and maintaining active spreading centres over stable soft points in the mantle.

Two Distinct Sets of Magma Sources in Cretaceous Rocks From Magnet Cove, Prairie Creek, and Other Igneous Centers of the Arkansas Alkaline Province, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duke, G. I.; Carlson, R. W.; Eby, G. N.

2008-12-01

Two distinct sets of magma sources from the Arkansas alkaline province (~106-89 Ma) are revealed by Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions of olivine lamproites vs. other alkalic rock types, including carbonatite, ijolite, lamprophyres, tephrite, malignite, jacupirangite, phonolite, trachyte, and latite. Isotopic compositions of diamond-bearing olivine lamproites from Prairie Creek and Dare Mine Knob point to Proterozoic lithosphere as an important source, and previous Re-Os isotopic data indicate derivation from subcontinental mantle lithosphere. Both sources were probably involved in lamproite generation. Magnet Cove carbonatites and other alkalic magmas were likely derived from an asthenospheric source. Lamproite samples are isotopically quite different from other rock types in Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic space. Although three lamproite samples from Prairie Creek have a large range of SiO2 contents (40-60 wt %), initial values of ɛNd (-10 to -13), 206Pb/204Pb (16.61-16.81), 207Pb/204Pb (15.34-15.36), and 208Pb/204Pb (36.57-36.76) are low and similar. Only 87Sr/86Sr(i) displays a wide range in the Prairie Creek lamproites (0.70627-0.70829). A fourth lamproite from Dare Mine Knob has the most negative ɛNd(i) of -19. Lamproite isotope values show a significant crustal component and isotopically overlap subalkalic rhyolites from the Black Hills (SD), which assimilated Proterozoic crust. Six samples of carbonatite, ijolite, and jacupirangite from Magnet Cove and Potash Sulphur Springs exhibit the most depleted Sr-Nd isotopic signatures of all samples. For these rock types, 87Sr/86Sr(i) is 0.70352 - 0.70396, and ɛNd(i) is +3.8 - +4.3. Eight other rock types have a narrow range of ɛNd(i) (+1.9 - +3.7), but a wide range of 87Sr/86Sr(i) (0.70424 - 0.70629). These 14 samples comprise a fairly tight cluster of Pb isotopic values: 206Pb/204Pb (18.22-19.23), 207Pb/204Pb (15.54-15.62), and 208Pb/204Pb (38.38-38.94), suggesting very little crustal assimilation. They are most similar to EM-2 (sub-group of OIB). Published ages of crustal amphibolite xenoliths from the Prairie Creek lamproite are Proterozoic (~1.32- 1.47 Ga), in keeping with isotopic evidence for crustal assimilation, including Tdm = 1.3-1.7 Ga. Published ages of lamproite (~106 Ma) indicate that these magmas intruded first, whereas carbonatites and other alkalic magmas were later (~102 to ~89 Ma). Asthenospheric upwelling first melted lithospheric mantle and crust, producing lamproitic magmas; asthenospheric magmas followed as swelling of the lithosphere ensued.

The Source of Proterozoic Anorthosites: Bringing It All Back Home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scoates, J. S.

2004-05-01

Proterozoic anorthosites are coarse-grained cumulate igneous rocks dominated by plagioclase of intermediate composition (An70-35) that occur in spatial and temporal association with both intrusions of troctolite and Fe-enriched rocks (ferrodiorite, monzonite) and with predominantly crustally-derived granitic batholiths. Given the relatively limited range of plagioclase compositions within individual intrusions, differences in plagioclase anorthite content between intrusions likely reflects primarily differences in pressures of segregation of plagioclase-rich magma bodies (An content of plag decreases with increasing pressures of crystallization). More importantly, Proterozoic anorthosite plutonic suites formed over an extended interval of time (1.2 byr) during the Middle Proterozoic from 2.1-0.9 Ga and thus are recording fundamental relationships between plate tectonics, mantle temperatures, and crust-mantle interactions over 1/4 of Earth history. Experimental work on opx-normative gabbroic/dioritic rocks from Harp Lake and Rogaland appears to show that some proposed anorthosite parental liquids lie across the trace of the plag+2-px cotectic from 1-1.3 GPa and that they straddle the thermal divide on the plag+px liquidus surface, thus apparently requiring a mafic source region (i.e. lower continental crust). It is unlikely that small amounts of dry partial melting of lower crustal granulite will produce melt compositions that are strongly plag-saturated nor will it yield the large quantities of melt (and corresponding cumulates) required by mass balance constraints. In addition, noritic-gabbronoritic lower crust is opx-normative and cannot be responsible for producing the olivine-bearing anorthosites or troctolites typical of the largest Proterozoic anorthosites. A compilation of high-Al,Fe basaltic magmas from Proterozoic anorthosite plutonic suites worldwide shows them to have compositions that are significantly less silica-rich than the opx-normative rocks that plot along the plag+2-px cotectic at high pressures. The important thermal divide for the petrogenesis of Proterozoic anorthosites is the plag+olivine+cpx divide as it separates opx-absent from opx-present fractionation trends at mid-crustal pressures. The least fractionated ol-normative compositions project into the region of mantle-derived melts at relatively high pressures (1-1.3 GPa). Radiogenic isotopic studies (Pb, Nd, Sr, Os) are particularly useful for constraining crustal input to anorthosite and have successfully traced out different-aged crustal reservoirs beneath them, especially when the underlying crust is 1 byr or more older than the anorthosites (e.g. Nain). Os isotopic studies do not effectively constrain the source of Proterozoic anorthosites, but rather yield important information about additions of crustal sulfur to ascending and slowly-cooling anorthosite bodies. Although a lower crustal tongue melting origin for Proterozoic anorthosites is clearly untenable, it is likely that no magma associated with Proterozoic anorthosites escaped contamination during ascent through the crust. The lower crust may have acted as a highly effective near-solidus "reactive filter" capable of stabilizing plagioclase as a liquidus phase for the duration of these long-lived (tens of millions of years for the largest suites), low magma flux magmatic systems. Combined low magma productivity and flux are consistent with only small amounts of crustal extension implicating the compositionally heterogeneous continental lithospheric mantle as the dominant source component for Proterozoic anorthosites.

Lead Isotope Compositions of Acid Residues from Olivine-Phyric Shergottite Tissint: Implications for Heterogeneous Shergottite Source Reservoirs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moriwaki, R.; Usui, T.; Yokoyama, T.; Simon, J. I.; Jones, J. H.

2015-01-01

Geochemical studies of shergottites suggest that their parental magmas reflect mixtures between at least two distinct geochemical source reservoirs, producing correlations between radiogenic isotope compositions and trace element abundances. These correlations have been interpreted as indicating the presence of a reduced, incompatible element- depleted reservoir and an oxidized, incompatible- element-enriched reservoir. The former is clearly a depleted mantle source, but there is ongoing debate regarding the origin of the enriched reservoir. Two contrasting models have been proposed regarding the location and mixing process of the two geochemical source reservoirs: (1) assimilation of oxidized crust by mantle derived, reduced magmas, or (2) mixing of two distinct mantle reservoirs during melting. The former requires the ancient Martian crust to be the enriched source (crustal assimilation), whereas the latter requires isolation of a long-lived enriched mantle domain that probably originated from residual melts formed during solidification of a magma ocean (heterogeneous mantle model). This study conducts Pb isotope and trace element concentration analyses of sequential acid-leaching fractions (leachates and the final residues) from the geochemically depleted olivine-phyric shergottite Tissint. The results suggest that the Tissint magma is not isotopically uniform and sampled at least two geochemical source reservoirs, implying that either crustal assimilation or magma mixing would have played a role in the Tissint petrogenesis.

Petrology and Physics of Magma Ocean Crystallization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elkins-Tanton, Linda T.; Parmentier, E. M.; Hess, P. C.

2003-01-01

Early Mars is thought to have been melted significantly by the conversion of kinetic energy to heat during accretion of planetesimals. The processes of solidification of a magma ocean determine initial planetary compositional differentiation and the stability of the resulting mantle density profile. The stability and compositional heterogeneity of the mantle have significance for magmatic source regions, convective instability, and magnetic field generation. Significant progress on the dynamical problem of magma ocean crystallization has been made by a number of workers. The work done under the 2003 MFRP grant further explored the implications of early physical processes on compositional heterogeneity in Mars. Our goals were to connect early physical processes in Mars evolution with the present planet's most ancient observable characteristics, including the early, strong magnetic field, the crustal dichotomy, and the compositional characteristics of the SNC meteorite's source regions as well as their formation as isotopically distinct compositions early in Mars's evolution. We had already established a possible relationship between the major element compositions of SNC meteorite sources and processes of Martian magma ocean crystallization and overturn, and under this grant extended the analysis to the crucial trace element and isotopic SNC signatures. This study then demonstrated the ability to create and end the magnetic field through magma ocean cumulate overturn and subsequent cooling, as well as the feasibility of creating a compositionally- and volumetrically-consistent crustal dichotomy through mode-1 overturn and simultaneous adiabatic melting.

Lu-Hf isotopic memory of plume-lithosphere interaction in the source of layered mafic intrusions, Windimurra Igneous Complex, Yilgarn Craton, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebel, O.; Arculus, R. J.; Ivanic, T. J.; Nebel-Jacobsen, Y. J.

2013-10-01

Most layered mafic intrusions (LMI) are formed via multiple magma injections into crustal magma chambers. These magmas are originally sourced from the mantle, likely via plume activity, but may interact with the overriding lithosphere during ascent and emplacement in the crust. The magma injections lead to the establishment of different layers and zones with complex macroscopic, microscopic and cryptic compositional layering through magmatic differentiation and associated cumulate formation, sometimes accompanied by crustal assimilation. These complex mineralogical and petrological processes obscure the nature of the mantle sources of LMI, and typically have limited the degree to which parental liquids can be fully characterised. Here, we present Lu-Hf isotope data for samples from distinct layers of the Upper Zone of the Windimurra Igneous Complex (WIC), an immense late-Archean LMI in the West Australian Yilgarn Craton. Lu-Hf isotope systematics of whole rocks are well correlated (MSWD=5.6, n=17) with an age of ˜3.05±0.05 Ga and initial ɛHf˜+8. This age, however, is older than whole rock Sm-Nd and zircon U-Pb ages of the intrusion, both of which are ca. 2.8 Ga. Stratigraphically-controlled initial Hf isotope variations (associated with multiple episodes of emplacement at ca. 2.8 Ga) indicate isotope mixing between a near-chondritic and an ultra-radiogenic component, the latter with ɛHf[2.8 Ga]>+15. This Hf isotope mixing creates a pseudochron-relationship at the time of intrusion of ˜250 Myr that is superimposed on subsequent radiogenic ingrowth after crystallisation, generating an age that predates the actual emplacement event. Mixing between late-stage crystallisation products (melt + crystals) from the Middle Zone and replenishing, plume-derived liquids was followed by crystal accumulation in a chemically evolving magma chamber. The ultra-radiogenic Hf isotope endmember in the WIC mantle source requires parent-daughter ratios consistent with very early formation in Earth history, akin to early Archean komatiitic plume sources. We propose that plume-derived melts that formed the Windimurra LMI reacted with ancient refractory lithospheric keels already underpinning ancient cratons, creating a melt with extremely high ɛHf[t]. Melting a refractory component with super-chondritic, time-integrated high Lu/Hf, in this case by plume-lithosphere interaction, simultaneously accounts for the extreme Hf isotope signals, Hf-Nd isotope decoupling, and difference in radiometric Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd ages.

Nested granites in question: Contrasted emplacement kinematics of independent magmas in the Zaër pluton, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchez, Jean Luc; Diot, Herve

1990-10-01

The concentrically zoned Zaër pluton (Variscan Meseta of Morocco), previously modeled as the nesting of two magmas forming a ballooning pluton, is here subjected to a study of its internal magmatic and solid-state structures. The magmatic flow patterns, derived mainly from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility measurements, together with structural observations down to thin-section scale, indicate that these two magmas have undergone totally independent kinematics of emplacement. This supports recent isotope geochemistry and geochronology data indicating independent origin of the magmas and diachronism of emplacement, respectively. Thus, we propose that a magma diapir, probably emplaced within a crustal fracture zone, cooled down to brittle conditions, before a likely flat-lying fracture was opened within the fracture zone and was filled with a new and compositionally different pulse of magma.

Influence of mid-crustal rheology on the deformation behavior of continental crust in the continental subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fucheng; Sun, Zhen; Zhang, Jiangyang

2018-06-01

Although the presence of low-viscosity middle crustal layer in the continental crust has been detected by both geophysical and geochemical studies, its influence on the deformation behavior of continental crust during subduction remains poorly investigated. To illustrate the crustal deformation associated with layered crust during continental subduction, we conducted a suite of 2-D thermo-mechanical numerical studies with visco-brittle/plastic rheology based on finite-differences and marker-in-cell techniques. In the experiments, we established a three-layer crustal model with a quartz-rich middle crustal layer embedded between the upper and lower continental crust. Results show that the middle crustal layer determines the amount of the accreted upper crust, maximum subduction depth, and exhumation path of the subducted upper crust. By varying the initial effective viscosity and thickness of the middle crustal layer, the further effects can be summarized as: (1) a rheologically weaker and/or thicker middle crustal layer results in a larger percentage of the upper crust detaching from the underlying slab and accreting at the trench zone, thereby leading to more serious crustal deformation. The rest of the upper crust only subducts into the depths of high pressure (HP) conditions, causing the absence of ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks; (2) a rheologically stronger and/or thinner middle crustal layer favors the stable subduction of the continental crust, dragging the upper crust to a maximum depth of ∼100 km and forming UHP rocks; (3) the middle crustal layer flows in a ductile way and acts as an exhumation channel for the HP-UHP rocks in both situations. In addition, the higher convergence velocity decreases the amount of subducted upper crust. A detailed comparison of our modeling results with the Himalayan collisional belt are conducted. Our work suggests that the presence of low-viscosity middle crustal layer may be another possible mechanism for absence of UHP rocks in the southern Tibet.

Ignimbrites to batholiths: integrating perspectives from geological, geophysical, and geochronological data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipman, Peter W.; Bachmann, Olivier

2015-01-01

Multistage histories of incremental accumulation, fractionation, and solidification during construction of large subvolcanic magma bodies that remained sufficiently liquid to erupt are recorded by Tertiary ignimbrites, source calderas, and granitoid intrusions associated with large gravity lows at the Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field (SRMVF). Geophysical data combined with geological constraints and comparisons with tilted plutons and magmatic-arc sections elsewhere are consistent with the presence of vertically extensive (>20 km) intermediate to silicic batholiths (with intrusive:extrusive ratios of 10:1 or greater) beneath the major SRMVF volcanic loci (Sawatch, San Juan, Questa-Latir). Isotopic data require involvement of voluminous mantle-derived mafic magmas on a scale equal to or greater than that of the intermediate to silicic volcanic and plutonic rocks. Early waxing-stage intrusions (35–30 Ma) that fed intermediate-composition central volcanoes of the San Juan locus are more widespread than the geophysically defined batholith; these likely heated and processed the crust, preparatory for ignimbrite volcanism (32–27 Ma) and large-scale upper-crustal batholith growth. Age and compositional similarities indicate that SRMVF ignimbrites and granitic intrusions are closely related, but the extent to which the plutons record remnants of former magma reservoirs that lost melt to volcanic eruptions has been controversial. Published Ar/Ar-feldspar and U-Pb-zircon ages for plutons spatially associated with ignimbrite calderas document final crystallization of granitoid intrusions at times indistinguishable from the tuff to ages several million years younger. These ages also show that SRMVF caldera-related intrusions cooled and solidified soon after zircon crystallization, as magma supply waned. Some researchers interpret these results as recording pluton assembly in small increments that crystallized rapidly, leading to temporal disconnects between ignimbrite eruption and intrusion growth. Alternatively, crystallization ages of the granitic rocks are here inferred to record late solidification, after protracted open-system evolution involving voluminous mantle input, lengthy residence (105–106yr) as near-solidus crystal mush, and intermittent separation of liquid to supply volcanic eruptions. The compositions of the least-evolved ignimbrite magmas tend to merge with those of caldera-related plutons, suggesting that the plutons record nonerupted parts of long-lived cogenetic magmatic systems, variably modified prior to final solidification. Precambrian-source zircons are scarce in caldera plutons, in contrast to their abundance in some peripheral waning-stage intrusions of the SRMVF, implying dissolution of inherited crustal zircon during lengthy magma assembly for the ignimbrite eruptions and construction of a subvolcanic batholith. Broad age spans of zircons (to several million years) from individual samples of some ignimbrites and intrusions, commonly averaged and interpreted as “intrusion-emplacement age,” alternatively provide an incomplete record of intermittent crystallization during protracted incremental magma-body assembly, with final solidification only when the system began to wane. Analyses of whole zircons cannot resolve late stages of crystal growth, and early growth in a long-lived magmatic system may be poorly recorded due to periods of zircon dissolution. Overall, construction of a batholith can take longer than recorded by zircon-crystallization ages, while the time interval for separation and shallow assembly of eruptible magma may be much shorter. Magma-supply estimates (from ages and volcano-plutonic volumes) yield focused intrusion-assembly rates sufficient to generate ignimbrite-scale volumes of eruptible magma, based on published thermal models. Mid-Tertiary processes of batholith assembly associated with the SRMVF caused drastic chemical and physical reconstruction of the entire lithosphere, probably accompanied by asthenospheric input.

Contrasting sodic and mildly potassic magma differentiation lineages at The Pleaides volcanic complex, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.; Park, J. W.; Lee, J.; Kyle, P. R.; Lee, M. J.

2017-12-01

The magma evolution of The Pleiades, a Quaternary alkaline volcanic complex in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, is investigated using major and trace elements, and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic data. The volcanic rocks can be subdivided into two distinct magmatic lineages based on petrography and whole-rock compositions: (1) a sodic silica-undersaturated alkaline lineage with abundant kaersutite phenocrysts, and (2) a mildly-potassic and mildly-alkaline, nearly silica-saturated lineage containing olivine but not kaersutite. The basanite and trachybasalt of both lineages exhibit similar degrees of negative K anomalies, moderately steep rare earth element patterns, and elevated trace element ratios such as Ce/Pb (> 20) and Nb/U (> 38), suggesting their primary magmas were generated by low degree (≤3%) of partial melting of amphibole and garnet-bearing mantle sources. The sodic lineage is characterized by elevated 206Pb/204Pb (>19.5) ratios and narrow ranges of 87Sr/86Sr (0.70313-0.70327) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.51289-0.51290) ratios consistent with a significant HIMU component typical of Neogene volcanic rocks in Antarctica. The mafic rocks of the potassic lineage have isotopic compositions similar to those of the sodic lineage, however the evolved lavas in the lineage have higher 87Sr/86Sr (> 0.7035) and lower 143Nd/144Nd (< 0.51285) and 206Pb/204Pb (< 19.3) ratios than the mafic rocks, suggesting significant amounts of crustal contamination. The pressure-temperature paths estimated by clinopyroxene-liquid thermobarometry are similar in each lineage. The mafic magmas were emplaced at Moho depths ( 1.2 GPa) and the evolved magmas pooled at middle-crustal depths ( 0.7 GPa). Mass-balance calculations based on whole-rock and mineral compositions show that kaersutite fractionation has played a major role in magma differentiation of the sodic lineage whereas the compositional variations of the potassic lineage can be ascribed to fractionation of a kaersutite-free mineral assemblage and a maximum of 17% crustal assimilation.

Isotope geochemistry of recent magmatism in the Aegean arc: Sr, Nd, Hf, and O isotopic ratios in the lavas of Milos and Santorini-geodynamic implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Briqueu, L.; Javoy, M.; Lancelot, J.R.; Tatsumoto, M.

1986-01-01

In this comparative study of variations in the isotopic compositions (Sr, Nd, O and Hf) of the calc-alkaline magmas of the largest two volcanoes, Milos and Santorini, of the Aegean arc (eastern Mediterranean) we demonstrate the complexity of the processes governing the evolution of the magmas on the scale both of the arc and of each volcano. On Santorini, the crustal contamination processes have been limited, effecting the magma gradually during its differentiation. The most differentiated lavas (rhyodacite and pumice) are also the most contaminated. On Milos, by contrast, these processes are very extensive. They are expressed in the 143Nd/144Nd vs. 87Sr/86Sr diagram as a continuous mixing curve between a mantle and a crustal end member pole defined by schists and metavolcanic rocks outcropping on these volcanoes. In contrast with Santorini, the least differentiated lavas on Milos are the most contaminated. These isotopic singularities can be correlated with the geodynamic evolution of the Aegean subduction zone, consisting of alternating tectonic phases of distension and compression. The genesis of rhyolitic magmas can be linked to the two phases of distension, and the contamination of the calc-alkaline mantle-derived magmas with the intermediate compressive phase. The isotopic characteristics of uncontaminated calc-alkaline primitive magmas of Milos and Santorini are directly comparable to those of magmas generated in subduction zones for which a contribution of subducted sediments to partial melts from the mantle is suggested, such as in the Aleutian, Sunda, and lesser Antilles island arcs. However, in spite of the importance of the sediment pile in the eastern Mediterranen oceanic crust (6-10 km), the contribution of the subducted terrigenous materials remains of limited amplitude. ?? 1986.

A Tale of Two Olivines: Magma Ascent in the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smid, E. R.; McGee, L. E.; Smith, I. E.; Lindsay, J. M.

2013-12-01

The Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF) is a nephelinitic to subalkali basaltic monogenetic field centered on the city of Auckland, New Zealand. Lavas are olivine-phyric, and the deposits of several volcanoes in the field contain olivine crystals with chrome spinel (Cr-spinel) inclusions. Microprobe analyses show at least two populations of olivine, categorised by their Mg# and their spinel inclusion compositions: the first has olivines that are euhedral, have compositions slightly less forsteritic than expected for whole rock Mg#, and have Cr-spinel inclusions with relatively low Cr2O3 contents of ~20%. These are interpreted as antecrysts inherited from the mantle source that yielded their host magma. The second population is characterised by olivines that are sub- to euhedral, are significantly more forsteritic than expected from their host whole rock Mg#, and have Cr-spinel inclusons with relatively high Cr2O3 contents of ~50%. These are interpreted as xenocrysts. The composition of these high Cr2O3 spinels very closely resembles the composition of spinels within olivines in dunite sampled from the Dun Mountain Ophiolite on the South Island of New Zealand. The northward extension of the Dun Mountain complex beneath the North Island is defined by the Junction Magnetic Anomaly, marking a crustal terrane boundary that underlies the Auckland Volcanic Field. These data indicate that the magmas that have risen to produce the volcanoes of the Auckland Volcanic Field have carried crystals from an underlying ultramafic crust as well as from their asthenospheric source. Euhedral olivine crystals which do not contain Cr-spinel are also present in AVF lavas and these are interpreted as true phenocrysts that crystallised directly from their host magmas. The lack of reaction textures at crystal margins suggests rapid ascent rates. A crustal origin for the xenocrysts not only has large implications for ascent rate modelling of olivines, but also for the crustal structure of the Auckland area and possible magma ascent paths under the AVF.

The origin and evolution of silicic magmas during continental rifting: new constraints from trace elements and oxygen isotopes from Ethiopian volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchison, W.; Boyce, A.; Mather, T. A.; Pyle, D. M.; Yirgu, G.; Gleeson, M. L.

2017-12-01

The petrologic diversity of rift magmas is generated by two key processes: interaction with the crust via partial melting or assimilation; and closed-system fractional crystallization of the parental magma. It is not yet known whether these two petrogenetic processes vary spatially between different rift settings, and whether there are any significant secular variations during rift evolution. The Ethiopian Rift is the ideal setting to test these hypotheses because it captures the transition from continental rifting to sea-floor spreading and has witnessed the eruption of large volumes of mafic and silicic volcanic rocks since 30 Ma. We use new oxygen isotope (δ18O) and trace element data to fingerprint fractional crystallisation and partial crustal melting processes in Ethiopia and evaluate spatial variations between three active rift segments. δ18O measurements are used to examine partial crustal melting processes. We find that most δ18O data from basalts to rhyolites fall within the bounds of modelled fractional crystallization trajectories (i.e., 5.5-6.5 ‰). Few samples deviate from this trend, emphasising that fractional crystallization is the dominant petrogenetic processes and that little fusible Precambrian crustal material (δ18O of 7-18 ‰) remain to be assimilated beneath the magmatic segments. Trace element systematics (e.g., Ba, Sr, Rb, Th and Zr) further underscore the dominant role of fractional crystallization but also reveal important variations in the degree of melt evolution between the volcanic systems. We find that the most evolved silicic magmas, i.e., those with greatest peralkalinity (molar Na2O+K2O>Al2O3), are promoted in regions of lowest magma flux off-axis and along rift. Our findings provide new information on the nature of the crust beneath Ethiopia's active magmatic segments and also have relevance for understanding ancient rift zones and the geotectonic settings that promote genesis of economically-valuable mineral deposits.

Accretionary history of the Altai-Mongolian terrane: perspectives from granitic zircon U-Pb and Hf-isotope data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Keda; Sun, Min; Xiao, Wenjiao

2014-05-01

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) consists of many tectonic terranes with distinct origin and complicated evolutionary history. Understanding of individual block is crucial to reconstruct the geodynamic history of the gigantic accetionary collage. This study presents zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes for the granitoid rocks in the Russian Altai mountain range (including Gorny Altai, Altai-Mongolian terrane and CTUS suture zone between them), in order to clarify the timing of granitic magmatism, source nature, continental crustal growth and tectonic evolution. Our dating results suggest that granitic magmatism of the Russian Altai mountain range occurred in three major episodes including 445~429 Ma, 410~360 Ma and ~241 Ma. Most of the zircons within the Paleozoic granitoids present comparable positive ɛHf(t) values and Neoproterozoic crustal model ages, which favor the interpretation that the juvenile crustal materials produced in the early stage of CAOB were probably dominant sources for the Paleozoic magmatism in the region. The inference is also supported by widespread occurrence of short-lived juvenile materials including ophiolites, seamount relics and arc assemblages in the north CAOB. Consequently, the Paleozoic massive granitic rocks maybe not represent continental crustal growth at the time when they were emplaced, but rather record reworking of relatively juvenile Proterozoic crustal rocks although mantle-derived mafic magma was possibly involved to sever as heat engine during granitic magma generation. The Early Triassic granitic intrusion may be product in an intra-plate environment, as the case of same type rocks in the adjacent areas. The positive ɛHf(t) values (1.81~7.47) and corresponding Hf model ages (0.80~1.16 Ga) together with evidence of petrology are consistent with the interpretation that the parental magma of the Triassic granitic intrusion was produced from enriched mantle-derived sources under an usually high temperature condition which is likely due to basaltic magma that underplated the lower crust. Our data combined with evidence of the regional geology enable us to conclude that the Gorny Altai and Altai-Mongolian terranes possibly have similar tectonic natures, but represent two separate accretionary systems before Devonian collision. The accretion and amalgamation processes resulted in the Paleozoic granitoid magmatism and caused the two terranes to merge as a composite tectonic domain at the Siberian continental margin.

New Insights From Whole Rock and Mineral Data on the Magmatic and Tectonic Evolution of the Columbia River Basalt Group (USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caprarelli, G.; Reidel, S. P.

2004-12-01

The Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) of north-western USA was emplaced in a geologically dynamic setting characterized by a close association between magmatism and lithospheric thinning and rifting. We present and discuss electron probe microanalysis and XRFA data obtained from samples spanning the entire sequence of the CRBG. The examined basalts have near-aphyric textures. No glass is present, and plagioclase and augitic clinopyroxene are dominant matrix and groundmass phases. Plagioclase microcrysts are labradoritic to bytownitic. Whole rock compositions were taken as proxies of the liquid compositions. Application of plagioclase / melt and clinopyroxene / melt geothermobarometers indicated that during crustal ascent the magmas were dry, and that pre-eruptive pressures and temperatures ranged from 0 to 0.66 GPa and 1393 to 1495 K, respectively. In a P-T diagram most of the samples are distributed along a general CRBG trend, while some samples plot along a parallel higher temperature trend. The calculated P-T values, the positive correlation between calculated P and T, and no horizontal alignment of the data, exclude the presence of upper crustal solidification fronts, and indicate that magma aggregation zones were located deeper than 25 km, plausibly immediately below the Moho, that in this region is at a depth of approximately 35 km. Episodic stretching of the lithosphere best explains the observed parallel P-T trends. Whole rock major element abundances resulted from fractional crystallization of the magmas during ascent. To retrieve the compositions of the primitive melts we added to the bulk rock compositions variable amounts of magnesian olivine [Mg/(Mg+Fe) = 0.88], and derived the evolution of olivine fractionating magmas in equilibrium with mantle harzburgite. Two groups of samples were found, corresponding to the parallel P-T trends obtained from mineral / melt calculations. The highest temperature trend corresponds to samples whose calculated primitive compositions are in agreement with those obtained from peridotite melting experiments (as published in the relevant literature). Interpretation of results for rocks belonging to the general CRBG trend suggests, either: (a) that higher forsteritic content olivine should be used in the calculations; or, (b) that melt / ol / opx reactions occurred. Investigation of the CRBG primitive compositions has relevance with regard to the geodynamic evolution models of this region. We are currently undertaking melt inclusion studies of suitable CRBG samples.

Staged storage and magma convection at Ambrym volcano, Vanuatu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheehan, Fionnuala; Barclay, Jenni

2016-08-01

New mineral-melt thermobarometry and mineral chemistry data are presented for basaltic scoriae erupted from the Mbwelesu crater of Ambrym volcano, Vanuatu, during persistent lava lake activity in 2005 and 2007. These data reveal crystallisation conditions and enable the first detailed attempt at reconstruction of the central magma plumbing system of Ambrym volcano. Pressures and temperatures of magma crystallisation at Ambrym are poorly constrained. This study focuses on characterising the magma conditions underlying the quasi-permanent lava lakes at the basaltic central vents, and examines petrological evidence for magma circulation. Mineral-melt equilibria for clinopyroxene, olivine and plagioclase allow estimation of pressures and temperatures of crystallisation, and reveal two major regions of crystallisation, at 24-29 km and 11-18 km depth, in agreement with indications from earthquake data of crustal storage levels at c. 25-29 km and 12-21 km depth. Temperature estimates are 1150-1170 °C for the deeper region, and 1110-1140 °C in the mid-crustal region, with lower temperatures of 1090-1100 °C for late-stage crystallisation. More primitive plagioclase antecrysts are thought to sample a slightly more mafic melt at sub-Moho depths. Resorption textures combined with effectively constant mafic mineral compositions suggest phenocryst convection in a storage region of consistent magma composition. In addition, basalt erupted at Ambrym has predominantly maintained a constant composition throughout the volcanic succession. This, coupled with recurrent periods of elevated central vent activity on the scale of months, suggest frequent magmatic recharge via steady-state melt generation at Ambrym.

A review of the contrasting behavior of two magmatic volatiles: Chlorine and carbon dioxide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowenstern, J. B.

2000-01-01

Chlorine (Cl) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are common magmatic volatiles with contrasting behaviors. CO2 solubility increases with pressure whereas Cl solubility shows relatively little pressure or temperature effect. CO2 speciation changes with silicate melt composition, dissolving as carbonate in basaltic magmas and molecular CO2 in more silicic compositions. In H2O-bearing systems, the strongly non-ideal behavior of alkali chlorides causes unmixing of the volatile phase to form a H2O-rich vapor and a hydrosaline phase with important implications for the maximum concentration of Cl in magmas. Addition of CO2 to magma hastens immiscibility at crustal pressures (<500 MPa), inducing the formation of CO2-rich vapors and Cl-rich hydrosaline melts. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Chlorine (Cl) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are common magmatic volatiles with contrasting behaviors. CO2 solubility increases with pressure whereas Cl solubility shows relatively little pressure or temperature effect. CO2 speciation changes with silicate melt composition, dissolving as carbonate in basaltic magmas and molecular CO2 in more silicic compositions. In H2O-bearing systems, the strongly non-ideal behavior of alkali chlorides causes unmixing of the volatile phase to form a H2O-rich vapor and a hydrosaline phase with important implications for the maximum concentration of Cl in magmas. Addition of CO2 to magma hastens immiscibility at crustal pressures (<500 MPa), inducing the formation of CO2-rich vapors and Cl-rich hydrosaline melts.

Status of the Magma Energy Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, J. C.

The current magma energy project is assessing the engineering feasibility of extracting thermal energy directly from crustal magma bodies. The estimated size of the U.S. resource (50,000 to 500,000 quads) suggests a considerable potential impact on future power generation. In a previous seven-year study, we concluded that there are no insurmountable barriers that would invalidate the magma energy concept. Several concepts for drilling, energy extraction, and materials survivability were successfully demonstrated in Kilauea Iki lava lake, Hawaii. The present program is addressing the engineering design problems associated with accessing magma bodies and extracting thermal energy for power generation. The normal stages for development of a geothermal resource are being investigated: exploration, drilling and completions, production, and surface power plant design. Current status of the engineering program and future plans are described.

Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow

PubMed Central

Wang, Qiang; Hawkesworth, Chris J.; Wyman, Derek; Chung, Sun-Lin; Wu, Fu-Yuan; Li, Xian-Hua; Li, Zheng-Xiang; Gou, Guo-Ning; Zhang, Xiu-Zheng; Tang, Gong-Jian; Dan, Wei; Ma, Lin; Dong, Yan-Hui

2016-01-01

There is considerable controversy over the nature of geophysically recognized low-velocity–high-conductivity zones (LV–HCZs) within the Tibetan crust, and their role in models for the development of the Tibetan Plateau. Here we report petrological and geochemical data on magmas erupted 4.7–0.3 Myr ago in central and northern Tibet, demonstrating that they were generated by partial melting of crustal rocks at temperatures of 700–1,050 °C and pressures of 0.5–1.5 GPa. Thus Pliocene-Quaternary melting of crustal rocks occurred at depths of 15–50 km in areas where the LV–HCZs have been recognized. This provides new petrological evidence that the LV–HCZs are sources of partial melt. It is inferred that crustal melting played a key role in triggering crustal weakening and outward crustal flow in the expansion of the Tibetan Plateau. PMID:27307135

The Generation of Continents through Subduction Zone Processing of Large Igneous Provinces: A Case Study from the Central American Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmon, N.; Rychert, C.

2013-12-01

Billions of years ago primary mantle magmas evolved to form the continental crust, although no simple magmatic differentiation process explains the progression to average andesitic crustal compositions observed today. A multiple stage process is often invoked, involving subduction and or oceanic plumes, to explain the strong depletion observed in Archean xenoliths and as well as pervasive tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite and komatiite protoliths in the greenstone belts in the crust in the cratons. Studying modern day analogues of oceanic plateaus that are currently interacting with subductions zones can provide insights into continental crust formation. Here we use surface waves to image crustal isotropic and radially anisotropic shear velocity structure above the central American subduction system in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which juxtaposes thickened ocean island plateau crust in Costa Rica with continental/normal oceanic crust in Nicaragua. We find low velocities beneath the active arc regions (3-6% slower than the surrounding region) and up to 6% radially anisotropic structures within the oceanic crust of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province beneath Costa Rica. The low velocities and radial anisotropy suggest the anomalies are due to pervasive deep crustal magma sills. The inferred sill structures correlate spatially with increased silicic outputs in northern Costa Rica, indicating that deep differentiation of primary magmas is more efficient beneath Costa Rica relative to Nicaragua. Subduction zone alteration of large igneous provinces promotes efficient, deep processing of primary basalts to continental crust. This scenario can explain the formation of continental lithosphere and crust, by both providing strongly depleted mantle lithosphere and a means for rapidly generating a silicic crustal composition.

Duration of a large Mafic intrusion and heat transfer in the lower crust: A SHRIMP U-Pb zircon Study in the Ivrea-Verbano Zone (Western Alps, Italy)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peressini, G.; Quick, J.E.; Sinigoi, S.; Hofmann, A.W.; Fanning, M.

2007-01-01

The Ivrea-Verbano Zone in the western Italian Alps contains one of the world's classic examples of ponding of mantle-derived, mafic magma in the deep crust. Within it, a voluminous, composite mafic pluton, the Mafic Complex, intruded lower-crustal, high-grade paragneiss of the Kinzigite Formation during Permian-Carboniferous time, and is now exposed in cross-section as a result of Alpine uplift. The age of the intrusion is still debated because the results of geochronological studies in the last three decades on different rock types and with various dating techniques range from 250 to about 300 Ma. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb zircon age determinations on 12 samples from several locations within the Mafic Complex were performed to better constrain the age of the igneous event. The results indicate a long history of magma emplacement and cooling, which reconciles the spread in previously published ages. The main intrusive phase took place at 288 ?? 4 Ma, causing a perturbation of the deep-crustal geotherm, which relaxed to the Sm-Nd closure temperature in garnet-free mafic rocks after about 15-20 Myr of sub-solidus cooling at c. 270 Ma. These results suggest that large, deep crustal plutons, such as those identified geophysically at depths of 10-20 km within extended continental crust (e.g. Yellowstone, Rio Grande Rift, Basin and Range) may have formed rapidly but induced a prolonged thermal perturbation. In addition, the data indicate that a significant thermal event affected the country rock of the Mafic Complex at about 310 Ma. The occurrence of an upper amphibolite- to granulite-facies thermal event in the Kinzigite Formation prior to the main intrusive phase of the Mafic Complex has been postulated by several workers, and is corroborated by other geochronological investigations. However, it remains uncertain whether this event (1) was part of a prolonged perturbation of the deep-crustal geotherm, which started long before the onset of intrusion of the Mafic Complex, or (2) corresponded to the intrusion of the first sills of the Mafic Complex, or (3) was related to an earlier, independent thermal pulse. ?? The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Excess Ar-40 in the Zagami Shergottite: Does It Reveal Crystallization History?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogard, Donald D.; Park, Jisun

2007-01-01

The Zagami basaltic shergottite has fine- and coarse-grained (FG & CG) areas, which may reflect partial crystallization in a deep, slowly cooled magma chamber to form Mg-rich pyroxene cores, followed by entrainment of these crystals into a magma that rose and crystallized near the surface. Late-stage melt pockets formed mesostasis and feldspar (maskelynite) having a range of compositions, but low water abundance. Higher I(sub Sr) in the FG portion may result from the second stage having incorporated old crustal rocks that failed to reach isotopic equilibrium. Zagami, like other shergottites, contains excess Ar-40(sub xs) beyond that expected from internal decay of K-40 during its Sm-Nd age of 177 Myr. We suggest that at least a portion of this Ar-40(sub xs) in Zagami and some other shergottites was inherited from the magma, much as is the case of MORBs on Earth. We made Ar-39-Ar-40 age determinations on feldspar and pyroxene separates from both the FG and CG portions of Zagami. If Zagami experienced an evolving fractional crystallization history, including possible crustal contamination of the magma, that might be indicated in differing amounts of Ar-40(sub xs) between mineral phases and between FG and CG portions.

Magmatic controls on the genesis of porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits: The Bingham Canyon example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grondahl, Carter; Zajacz, Zoltán

2017-12-01

Bingham Canyon is one of the world's largest porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits and was previously used as an example to emphasize the role of magma mixing and magmatic sulphide saturation in the enhancement of ore fertility of magmatic systems. We analyzed whole rocks, minerals, and silicate melt inclusions (SMI) from the co-genetic, ore-contemporaneous volcanic package (∼38 Ma). As opposed to previous propositions, whole-rock trace element signatures preclude shoshonite-latite genesis via mixing of melanephelinite and trachyte or rhyolite, whereas core to rim compositional profiles of large clinopyroxene phenocrysts suggests the amalgamation of the ore-related magma reservoir by episodic recharge of shoshonitic to latitic magmas with various degrees of differentiation. Major and trace element and Sr and Nd isotopic signatures indicate that the ore-related shoshonite-latite series were generated by low-degree partial melting of an ancient metasomatized mantle source yielding volatile and ore metal rich magmas. Latite and SMI compositions can be reproduced by MELTS modeling assuming 2-step lower and upper crustal fractionation of a primary shoshonite with minimal country rock assimilation. High oxygen fugacities (≈ NNO + 1) are prevalent as evidenced by olivine-spinel oxybarometry, high SO3 in apatite, and anhydrite saturation. The magma could therefore carry significantly more S than would have been possible at more reducing conditions, and the extent of ore metal sequestration by magmatic sulphide saturation was minimal. The SMI data show that the latites were Cu rich, with Cu concentrations in the silicate melt reaching up to 300-400 ppm at about 60 wt% SiO2. The Au and Ag concentrations are also high (1.5-4 and 50-200 ppb, respectively), but show less variation with SiO2. A sudden drop in Cu and S concentrations in the silicate melt at around 65 wt% SiO2 in the presence of high Cl, Mo, Ag, and Au shows that the onset of effective metal extraction by fluid exsolution occurred at a relatively late stage of magma evolution. Overall, our results show that fluid exsolution during simple magmatic differentiation of oxidized alkaline magmas is capable of producing giant porphyry Cu deposits.

Compositions of Mars Rocks: SNC Meteorites, Differentiates, and Soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutherford, M. J.; Minitti, M.; Weitz, C. M.

1999-01-01

The 13 samples from Mars identified in the terrestrial meteorite collections vary from dunite to pyroxenite to microgabbro or basalt. All of these rocks appear to have formed from primitive melts with similar major element compositional characteristics; i.e., FeO-rich and Al2O3-Poor melts relative to terrestrial basalt compositions. Although all of the SNC rocks can be derived by melting of the same Al-depleted mantle, contamination of SNC's by a Rb-enriched mantle or crustal source is required to explain the different REE characteristics of SNC rocks. Thus, there are indications of an old crustal rocktype on Mars, and this rock does not appear to have been sampled. This paper focuses primarily on the composition of the SNC basalts, however, and on the compositions of rocks which could be derived from SNC basaltic melt by magmatic processes. In particular, we consider the possible compositions which could be achieved through accumulation of early-formed crystals in the SNC primitive magma. Through a set of experiments we have determined (1) melt (magma) compositions which could be produced by melt evolution as crystals are removed from batches of this magma cooling at depth, and (2) which evolved (Si02enriched, MgO-depleted) rock compositions could be produced from the SNC magma, and how these compare with the Pathfinder andesite composition. Finally, we compare the SNC magma compositions to the Mars soil composition in order to determine whether any source other than SNC is required.

Topography and tectonics of mid-oceanic ridge axes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sleep, N. H.; Rosendahl, B. R.

1979-01-01

Numerical fluid dynamic models of mid-oceanic ridge axes were constructed using distributions of material properties constrained by seismic studies and thermal calculations. The calculations indicate that spreading is passive except for forces caused by density differences due to thermal expansion and partial melt. Except for geometric differences due to temperature distribution, one set of mechanical properties can adequately explain central rifts of slow ridges and central peaks of fast ridges. Viscous head loss in the upwelling material dominates at low spreading rates where material ascends through a narrow conduit. Thermal expansion and partial melting dominate at high spreading rates where a wide low viscosity crustal magma chamber is present. The preferred rheology is 10 to the 20th poise for the upwelling lithosphere; less than 5 x 10 to the 17th for the crustal magma chamber and axial intrusion zone at fast ridges, and a yield stress of 200 bars for the lithosphere. The calculation correctly predicts the existence of central peaks at 'hot-spot' ridges, where seismic evidence indicates a large magma chamber.

Crustal Accretion at Subduction Initiation Along Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc and the Link to SSZ Ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishizuka, O.; Tani, K.; Reagan, M. K.; Kanayama, K.; Umino, S.; Harigane, Y.; Sakamoto, I.

2014-12-01

The Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) forearc preserves the earliest arc magmatic history from subduction initiation to the establishment of the arc. Recent investigations have established a bottom to top igneous stratigraphy of: 1) mantle peridotite, 2) gabbroic rocks, 3) a sheeted dyke complex, 4) basaltic pillow lavas (forearc basalts: FAB), 5) boninites and magnesian andesites, 6) tholeiites and calcalkaline arc lavas. This stratigraphy has many similarities to supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites. One of the most important common characteristics between the SSZ ophiolites and the forearc crust is the occurrence of MORB-like basaltic lavas underlying or accompanying boninites and early arc volcanic suites. A key observation from the IBM forearc is that FAB differs from nearby back-arc lavas in chemical characteristics, including a depletion in moderately incompatible elements. This indicates that FAB is not a pre-existing oceanic basement of the arc, but the first magmatic product after subduction initiation. Sheeted dikes of FAB composition imply that this magmatism was associated with seafloor spreading, possibly triggered by onset of slab sinking. Recognition of lavas with transitional geochemical characteristics between the FAB and the boninites strongly implies genetic linkage between these two magma types. The close similarity of the igneous stratigraphy of SSZ ophiolites to the IBM forearc section strongly implies a common magmatic evolutionary path, i.e., decompressional melting of a depleted MORB-type mantle is followed by melting of an even more depleted mantle with the addition of slab-derived fluid/melt to produce boninite magma. Similarity of magmatic process between IBM forearc and Tethyan ophiolites appears to be reflected on common characteristics of upper mantle section. Peridotite from both sections show more depleted characteristics compared to upper mantle rocks from mid-ocean ridges. Age determinations reveal that first magmatism at the IBM arc occurred at c. 52 Ma, and transition from forearc basalt to normal arc magmatism took 7-8 million years. Combined with the age information from SSZ-ophiolites, significant constraints on time scale of subduction initiation and associated crustal accretion might be obtained.

Neoarchean crustal growth and Paleoproterozoic reworking in the Borborema Province, NE Brazil: Insights from geochemical and isotopic data of TTG and metagranitic rocks of the Alto Moxotó Terrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montefalco de Lira Santos, Lauro Cézar; Dantas, Elton Luiz; Cawood, Peter A.; José dos Santos, Edilton; Fuck, Reinhardt A.

2017-11-01

Pre-Brasiliano rocks in the Borborema Province (NE Brazil) are concentrated in basement blocks, such as the Alto Moxotó Terrane. Petrographic, geochemical, and U-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopic data from two basement metagranitic suites within the terrane provide evidence for Neoarchean (2.6 Ga) and Paleoproterozoic (2.1 Ga) subduction-related events. The Riacho das Lajes Suite is made of medium to coarse-grained hornblende and biotite-bearing metatonalites and metamonzogranites. Whole-rock geochemical data indicate that these rocks represent calcic, magnesian and meta-to peraluminous magmas, and have unequivocal affinities with high-Al low-REE tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorites (TTG). Zircon U-Pb data from two samples of this suite indicate that they were emplaced at 2.6 Ga, which is the first discovered Archean crust in the central portion of the province. The suite has Neoarchean depleted mantle model ages (TDM) and slightly negative to positive εNd(t), indicating slight crustal contamination. The overall geochemical and isotopic data indicate a Neoarchean intraoceanic setting for genesis of the Riacho das Lajes magma via melting of basaltic oceanic crust submitted to high-pressure eclogite facies conditions. On the other hand, the Floresta Suite comprise metaigneous rocks, which are mostly tonalitic and granodioritic in composition. Geochemical data indicate that this suite shares similarities with calcic to calc-alkalic magmas with magnesian and metaluminous to slightly peraluminous characteristics. Other geochemical features include anomolous Ni, V and Cr contents, as well as high large-ion litophile elements (LILE) values. The suite yields U-Pb zircon ages of approximately 2.1 Ga, Archean to Paleoproterozoic TDM ages, and negative to positive εNd(t) values, suggesting both new crust formation and reworking of Archean crust, in addition to mantle metasomatism, reflecting mixed sources. The most likely tectonic setting for the Floresta Suite magmas involved crustal thickening by terrane accretion, coeval to slab break off. Our results provide new insights on proto-Western Gondwana crustal evolution.

Progress Towards a Thermo-Mechanical Magma Chamber Forward Model for Eruption Cycles, Applied to the Columbia River Flood Basalts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlstrom, L.; Ozimek, C.

2016-12-01

Magma chamber modeling has advanced to the stage where it is now possible to develop self-consistent, predictive models that consider mechanical, thermal, and compositional magma time evolution through multiple eruptive cycles. We have developed such a thermo-mechanical-chemical model for a laterally extensive sill-like chamber beneath free surface, to understand physical controls on eruptive products through time at long-lived magmatic centers. This model predicts the relative importance of recharge, eruption, assimilation and fractional crystallization (REAFC, Lee et al., 2013) on evolving chemical composition as a function of mechanical magma chamber stability regimes. We solve for the time evolution of chamber pressure, temperature, gas volume fraction, volume, elemental concentration in the melt and crustal temperature field that accounts for moving boundary conditions associated with chamber inflation (and the possibility of coupled chambers at different depths). The density, volume fractions of melt and crystals, crustal assimilation and the changing viscosity and crustal properties of the wall rock are also tracked, along with joint solubility of water and CO2. The eventual goal is to develop an efficient forward model to invert for eruptive records at long-lived eruptive centers, where multiple types of data for eruptions are available. As a first step, we apply this model to a new compilation of eruptive data from the Columbia River Flood Basalts (CRFB), which erupted 210,000 km3 from feeder dikes in Washington, Oregon and Idaho between 16.9-6Ma. Data include volumes, timing and geochemical composition of eruptive units, along with seismic surveys and clinopyroxene geobarometry that constrain depth of storage through time. We are in the process of performing a suite of simulations varying model input parameters such as mantle melt rate, emplacement depth, wall rock compositions and rheology, and volatile content to explain volume, eruption timescales, and chemical trace aspects of CRFB eruptions. We are particularly interested in whether the large volume eruptions of the main phase Grande Ronde basalts were made possible due to the development of shallow crustal storage.

Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks from the Okinawa Trough: Implications for the influence of subduction components and the contamination of crustal materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Kun; Zhai, Shikui; Yu, Zenghui; Wang, Shujie; Zhang, Xia; Wang, Xiaoyuan

2018-04-01

The Okinawa Trough is an infant back-arc basin developed along the Ryukyu arc. This paper provides new major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Li isotope data of volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough and combines the published geochemical data to discuss the composition of magma source, the influence of subduction component, and the contamination of crustal materials, and calculate the contribution between subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in the subduction component. The results showed that there are 97% DM and 3% EMI component in the mantle source in middle trough (MS), which have been influenced by subduction sediment. The Li-Nd isotopes indicate that the contribution of subduction sediment and altered oceanic crust in subduction component are 4 and 96%, respectively. The intermediate-acidic rocks suffer from contamination of continental crust material in shallow magma chamber during fractional crystallization. The acidic rocks in south trough have experienced more contamination of crustal material than those from the middle and north trough segments.

Taxonomy of Magma Mixing II: Thermochemistry of Mixed Crystal-Bearing Magmas Using the Magma Chamber Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohrson, W. A.; Spera, F. J.; Neilson, R.; Ghiorso, M. S.

2013-12-01

Magma recharge and magma mixing contribute to the diversity of melt and crystal populations, the abundance and phase state of volatiles, and thermal and mass characteristics of crustal magma systems. The literature is replete with studies documenting mixing end-members and associated products, from mingled to hybridized, and a catalytic link between recharge/mixing and eruption is likely. Given its importance and the investment represented by thousands of detailed magma mixing studies, a multicomponent, multiphase magma mixing taxonomy is necessary to systematize the array of governing parameters (e.g., pressure (P), temperature (T), composition (X)) and attendant outcomes. While documenting the blending of two melts to form a third melt is straightforward, quantification of the mixing of two magmas and the subsequent evolution of hybrid magma requires application of an open-system thermodynamic model. The Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) is a thermodynamic, energy, and mass constrained code that defines thermal, mass and compositional (major, trace element and isotope) characteristics of melt×minerals×fluid phase in a composite magma body-recharge magma-crustal wallrock system undergoing recharge (magma mixing), assimilation, and crystallization. In order to explore fully hybridized products, in MCS, energy and mass of recharge magma (R) are instantaneously delivered to resident magma (M), and M and R are chemically homogenized and thermally equilibrated. The hybrid product achieves a new equilibrium state, which may include crystal resorption or precipitation and/or evolution of a fluid phase. Hundreds of simulations systematize the roles that PTX (and hence mineral identity and abundance) and the mixing ratio (mass of M/mass of R) have in producing mixed products. Combinations of these parameters define regime diagrams that illustrate possible outcomes, including: (1) Mixed melt composition is not necessarily a mass weighted mixture of M and R magmas because crystals may precipitate or resorb. (2) Although a typical expectation is that the mixed magma T is between those of M and R, in some cases, T is lower than both due to the enthalpy cost of mineral resorption. (3) Addition of cooler silicic R to mafic M might be expected to promote crystallization, but in some cases, hybrid melt moves away from phase saturation surface(s) due to compositional effects, and crystallization is suppressed. (4) Addition of R can cause either enhancement or suppression of crystallization, depending on PTX conditions. Phases stable in M may cease to crystallize after mixing, producing a gap in the crystal record. (5) Volatile saturation is likely to be complex, and investigating volatile behavior will help define the thermodynamic states under which mixed magmas may catastrophically vesiculate, perhaps triggering eruption. Use of the magma mixing taxonomy will enhance the ability to quantify key parameters that influence particular magma mixing scenarios and will illuminate MCS enhancements required for handling additional types of magma mixing (e.g., mingling).

Oxygen isotope compositions of selected laramide-tertiary granitoid stocks in the Colorado Mineral Belt and their bearing on the origin of climax-type granite-molybdenum systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hannah, J.L.; Stein, H.J.

1986-01-01

Quartz phenocrysts from 31 granitoid stocks in the Colorado Mineral Belt yield ??18O values less than 10.4???, with most values between 9.3 and 10.4???. An average magmatic value of about 8.5??? is suggested. The stocks resemble A-type granites; these data support magma genesis by partial melting of previously depleted, fluorine-enriched, lower crustal granulites, followed by extreme differentiation and volatile evolution in the upper crust. Subsolidus interaction of isotopically light water with stocks has reduced most feldspar and whole rock ??18O values. Unaltered samples from Climax-type molybdenumbearing granites, however, show no greater isotopic disturbance than samples from unmineralized stocks. Although meteoric water certainly played a role in post-mineralization alteration, particularly in feldspars, it is not required during high-temperature mineralization processes. We suggest that slightly low ??18O values in some vein and replacement minerals associated with molybdenum mineralization may have resulted from equilibration with isotopically light magmatic water and/or heavy isotope depletion of the ore fluid by precipitation of earlier phases. Accumulation of sufficient quantities of isotopically light magmatic water to produce measured depletions of 18O requires extreme chemical stratification in a large magma reservoir. Upward migration of a highly fractionated, volatile-rich magma into a small apical Climax-type diapir, including large scale transport of silica, alkalis, molybdenum, and other vapor soluble elements, may occur with depression of the solidus temperature and reduction of magma viscosity by fluorine. Climax-type granites may provide examples of 18O depletion in magmatic systems without meteoric water influx. ?? 1986 Springer-Verlag.

A dearth of intermediate melts at subduction zone volcanoes and the petrogenesis of arc andesites.

PubMed

Reubi, Olivier; Blundy, Jon

2009-10-29

Andesites represent a large proportion of the magmas erupted at continental arc volcanoes and are regarded as a major component in the formation of continental crust. Andesite petrogenesis is therefore fundamental in terms of both volcanic hazard and differentiation of the Earth. Andesites typically contain a significant proportion of crystals showing disequilibrium petrographic characteristics indicative of mixing or mingling between silicic and mafic magmas, which fuels a long-standing debate regarding the significance of these processes in andesite petrogenesis and ultimately questions the abundance of true liquids with andesitic composition. Central to this debate is the distinction between liquids (or melts) and magmas, mixtures of liquids with crystals, which may or may not be co-genetic. With this distinction comes the realization that bulk-rock chemical analyses of petrologically complex andesites can lead to a blurred picture of the fundamental processes behind arc magmatism. Here we present an alternative view of andesite petrogenesis, based on a review of quenched glassy melt inclusions trapped in phenocrysts, whole-rock chemistry, and high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. We argue that true liquids of intermediate composition (59 to 66 wt% SiO(2)) are far less common in the sub-volcanic reservoirs of arc volcanoes than is suggested by the abundance of erupted magma within this compositional range. Effective mingling within upper crustal magmatic reservoirs obscures a compositional bimodality of melts ascending from the lower crust, and masks the fundamental role of silicic melts (>/=66 wt% SiO(2)) beneath intermediate arc volcanoes. This alternative view resolves several puzzling aspects of arc volcanism and provides important clues to the integration of plutonic and volcanic records.

Deep magmatic degassing versus scrubbing: Elevated CO2 emissions and C/S in the lead-up to the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Werner, Cynthia A.; Evans, William C.; Kelly, Peter; McGimsey, Robert G.; Pfeffer, Melissa; Doukas, Michael P.; Neal, Christina

2012-01-01

We report CO2, SO2, and H2S emission rates and C/S ratios during the five months leading up to the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska. CO2emission rates up to 9018 t/d and C/S ratios ≥30 measured in the months prior to the eruption were critical for fully informed forecasting efforts. Observations of ice-melt rates, meltwater discharge, and water chemistry suggest that surface waters represented drainage from surficial, perched reservoirs of condensed magmatic steam and glacial meltwater. These fluids scrubbed only a few hundred tonnes/day of SO2, not the >2100 t/d SO2expected from degassing of magma in the mid- to upper crust (3–6.5 km), where petrologic analysis shows the final magmatic equilibration occurred. All data are consistent with upflow of a CO2-rich magmatic gas for at least 5 months prior to eruption, and minimal scrubbing of SO2by near-surface groundwater. The high C/S ratios observed could reflect bulk degassing of mid-crustal magma followed by nearly complete loss of SO2in a deep magmatic-hydrothermal system. Alternatively, high C/S ratios could be attributed to decompressional degassing of low silica andesitic magma that intruded into the mid-crust in the 5 months prior to eruption, thereby mobilizing the pre-existing high silica andesite magma or mush in this region. The latter scenario is supported by several lines of evidence, including deep long-period earthquakes (−28 to −32 km) prior to and during the eruption, and far-field deformation following the onset of eruptive activity.

New Martian Meteorite Is One of the Most Oxidized Found to Date

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, Hejiu; Peslier, Anne; Lapen, Thomas J.; Shafer, John T.; Brandon, Alan D.; Irving, Anthony J.

2014-01-01

As of 2013, about 60 meteorites from the planet Mars have been found and are being studied. Each time a new Martian meteorite is found, a wealth of new information comes forward about the red planet. The most abundant type of Martian meteorite is a shergottite; its lithologies are broadly similar to those of Earth basalts and gabbros; i.e., crustal igneous rocks. The entire suite of shergottites is characterized by a range of trace element, isotopic ratio, and oxygen fugacity values that mainly reflect compositional variations of the Martian mantle from which these magmas came. A newly found shergottite, NWA 5298, was the focus of a study performed by scientists within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 2012. This sample was found in Morocco in 2008. Major element analyses were performed in the electron microprobe (EMP) laboratory of ARES at JSC, while the trace elements were measured at the University of Houston by laser inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). A detailed analysis of this stone revealed that this meteorite is a crystallized magma that comes from the enriched end of the shergottite spectrum; i.e., trace element enriched and oxidized. Its oxidation comes in part from its mantle source and from oxidation during the magma ascent. It represents a pristine magma that did not mix with any other magma or see crystal accumulation or crustal contamination on its way up to the Martian surface. NWA 5298 is therefore a direct, albeit evolved, melt from the Martian mantle and, for its lithology (basaltic shergottite), it represents the oxidized end of the shergottite suite. It is thus a unique sample that has provided an end-member composition for Martian magmas.

Clinopyroxene composition of volcanics from the Manipur Ophiolite, Northeastern India: implications to geodynamic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovung, Thungyani N.; Ray, Jyotisankar; Ghosh, Biswajit; Koeberl, Christian; Topa, Dan; Paul, Madhuparna

2017-08-01

The volcanic section of the Manipur Ophiolite (MO), representing the crustal portion of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere occurs as basalt, basaltic trachyandesite, and dacite in the Gamnom-Phangrei sector, Manipur, at 25°01'N-25°09'N and 94°24'E-94°27'E. They associate with cherts and ultramafics. The clinopyroxene compositions of basalt and basaltic trachyandesite, obtained through electron microprobe analyzer, were used as a petrogenetic indicator to identify the parent magma-types and their tectonic settings. Based on the variable content of major oxides, they are classified as high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes. High Ti and Al contents with relatively lower silica saturation are observed in the former group and vice versa in the latter. The TiDCpx/rock values in low- and high-Ti clinopyroxene are comparable with island-arc basaltic andesite and MORB, respectively, which confirms that the clinopyroxene composition is primarily related to the host magma-type and its tectonic setting. Clinopyroxene thermometry (ranging 1150-605 °C) suggests progressive differentiation of the parent magmas. Several bivariate and tectonic discrimination diagrams depict MORB (non-orogenic setting) and island-arc boninitic magma affinities (orogenic setting) for the high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes, respectively. The coexistence of both MORB and island-arc boninitic magma-types in the volcanic section of Manipur Ophiolite as characterized by their varying Ti, Al, and Si contents may indicate either juxtaposition of rocks formed in diverse tectonic settings (i.e., due to transformation of tectonic setting from mid-ocean ridge to supra-subduction zone) or, a change in magma composition in a subduction zone setting. However, field relationships coupled with the mineral-chemical signatures implies a supra-subduction zone setting for the evolution of the crustal section of MO.

Clinopyroxene composition of volcanics from the Manipur Ophiolite, Northeastern India: implications to geodynamic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovung, Thungyani N.; Ray, Jyotisankar; Ghosh, Biswajit; Koeberl, Christian; Topa, Dan; Paul, Madhuparna

2018-06-01

The volcanic section of the Manipur Ophiolite (MO), representing the crustal portion of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere occurs as basalt, basaltic trachyandesite, and dacite in the Gamnom-Phangrei sector, Manipur, at 25°01'N-25°09'N and 94°24'E-94°27'E. They associate with cherts and ultramafics. The clinopyroxene compositions of basalt and basaltic trachyandesite, obtained through electron microprobe analyzer, were used as a petrogenetic indicator to identify the parent magma-types and their tectonic settings. Based on the variable content of major oxides, they are classified as high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes. High Ti and Al contents with relatively lower silica saturation are observed in the former group and vice versa in the latter. The TiDCpx/rock values in low- and high-Ti clinopyroxene are comparable with island-arc basaltic andesite and MORB, respectively, which confirms that the clinopyroxene composition is primarily related to the host magma-type and its tectonic setting. Clinopyroxene thermometry (ranging 1150-605 °C) suggests progressive differentiation of the parent magmas. Several bivariate and tectonic discrimination diagrams depict MORB (non-orogenic setting) and island-arc boninitic magma affinities (orogenic setting) for the high- and low-Ti clinopyroxenes, respectively. The coexistence of both MORB and island-arc boninitic magma-types in the volcanic section of Manipur Ophiolite as characterized by their varying Ti, Al, and Si contents may indicate either juxtaposition of rocks formed in diverse tectonic settings (i.e., due to transformation of tectonic setting from mid-ocean ridge to supra-subduction zone) or, a change in magma composition in a subduction zone setting. However, field relationships coupled with the mineral-chemical signatures implies a supra-subduction zone setting for the evolution of the crustal section of MO.

Discriminating assimilants and decoupling deep- vs. shallow-level crystal records at Mount Adams using 238U-230Th disequilibria and Os isotopes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jicha, B.R.; Johnson, C.M.; Hildreth, W.; Beard, B.L.; Hart, G.L.; Shirey, S.B.; Singer, B.S.

2009-01-01

A suite of 23 basaltic to dacitic lavas erupted over the last 350??kyr from the Mount Adams volcanic field has been analyzed for U-Th isotope compositions to evaluate the roles of mantle versus crustal components during magma genesis. All of the lavas have (230Th/238U) > 1 and span a large range in (230Th/232Th) ratios, and most basalts have higher (230Th/232Th) ratios than andesites and dacites. Several of the lavas contain antecrysts (crystals of pre-existing material), yet internal U-Th mineral isochrons from six of seven lavas are indistinguishable from their eruption ages. This indicates a relatively brief period of time between crystal growth and eruption for most of the phenocrysts (olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, magnetite) prior to eruption. One isochron gave a crystallization age that is ~ 20-25??ka older than its corresponding eruptive age, and is interpreted to reflect mixing of older and juvenile crystals or a protracted period of magma storage in the crust. Much of the eruptive volume since 350??ka consists of lavas that have small to moderate 230Th excesses (2-16%), which are likely inherited from melting of a garnet-bearing intraplate ("OIB-like") mantle source. Following melt generation and subsequent migration through the upper mantle, most Mt. Adams magmas interacted with young, mafic lower crust, as indicated by 187Os/188Os ratios that are substantially more radiogenic than the mantle or those expected via mixing of subducted material and the mantle wedge. Moreover, Os-Th isotope variations suggest that unusually large 230Th excesses (25-48%) and high 187Os/188Os ratios in some peripheral lavas reflect assimilation of small degree partial melts of pre-Quaternary basement that had residual garnet or Al-rich clinopyroxene. Despite the isotopic evidence for lower crustal assimilation, these processes are not generally recorded in the erupted phenocrysts, indicating that the crystal record of the deep-level 'cryptic' processes has been decoupled from shallow-level crystallization. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

Origins and evolution of rhyolitic magmas in the central Snake River Plain: insights from coupled high-precision geochronology, oxygen isotope, and hafnium isotope analyses of zircon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colón, Dylan P.; Bindeman, Ilya N.; Wotzlaw, Jörn-Frederik; Christiansen, Eric H.; Stern, Richard A.

2018-02-01

We present new high-precision CA-ID-TIMS and in situ U-Pb ages together with Hf and O isotopic analyses (analyses performed all on the same grains) from four tuffs from the 15-10 Ma Bruneau-Jarbidge center of the Snake River Plain and from three rhyolitic units from the Kimberly borehole in the neighboring 10-6 Ma Twin Falls volcanic center. We find significant intrasample diversity in zircon ages (ranges of up to 3 Myr) and in δ18O (ranges of up to 6‰) and ɛHf (ranges of up to 24 ɛ units) values. Zircon rims are also more homogeneous than the associated cores, and we show that zircon rim growth occurs faster than the resolution of in situ dating techniques. CA-ID-TIMS dating of a subset of zircon grains from the Twin Falls samples reveals complex crystallization histories spanning 104-106 years prior to some eruptions, suggesting that magma genesis was characterized by the cyclic remelting of buried volcanic rocks and intrusions associated with previous magmatic episodes. Age-dependent trends in zircon isotopic compositions show that rhyolite production in the Yellowstone hotspot track is driven by the mixing of mantle-derived melts (normal δ18O and ɛHf) and a combination of Precambrian basement rock (normal δ18O and ɛHf down to - 60) and shallow Mesozoic and Cenozoic age rocks, some of which are hydrothermally altered (to low δ18O values) by earlier stages of Snake River Plain magmatism. These crustal melts hybridize with juvenile basalts and rhyolites to produce the erupted rhyolites. We also observe that the Precambrian basement rock is only an important component in the erupted magmas in the first eruption at each caldera center, suggesting that the accumulation of new intrusions quickly builds an upper crustal intrusive body which is isolated from the Precambrian basement and evolves towards more isotopically juvenile and lower-δ18O compositions over time.

Crustal structure of the Gulf of Aden southern margin: Evidence from receiver functions on Socotra Island (Yemen)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Abdulhakim; Leroy, Sylvie; Keir, Derek; Korostelev, Félicie; Khanbari, Khaled; Rolandone, Frédérique; Stuart, Graham; Obrebski, Mathias

2014-12-01

Breakup of continents in magma-poor setting occurs primarily by faulting and plate thinning. Spatial and temporal variations in these processes can be influenced by the pre-rift basement structure as well as by early syn-rift segmentation of the rift. In order to better understand crustal deformation and influence of pre-rift architecture on breakup we use receiver functions from teleseismic recordings from Socotra which is part of the subaerial Oligo-Miocene age southern margin of the Gulf of Aden. We determine variations in crustal thickness and elastic properties, from which we interpret the degree of extension related thinning and crustal composition. Our computed receiver functions show an average crustal thickness of ~ 28 km for central Socotra, which decreases westward along the margin to an average of ~ 21 km. In addition, the crust thins with proximity to the continent-ocean transition to ~ 16 km in the northwest. Assuming an initial pre-rift crustal thickness of 35 km (undeformed Arabian plate), we estimate a stretching factor in the range of ~ 2.1-2.4 beneath Socotra. Our results show considerable differences between the crustal structure of Socotra's eastern and western sides on either side of the Hadibo transfer zone; the east displays a clear intracrustal conversion phase and thick crust when compared with the western part. The majority of measurements across Socotra show Vp/Vs ratios of between 1.70 and 1.77 and are broadly consistent with the Vp/Vs values expected from the granitic and carbonate rock type exposed at the surface. Our results strongly suggest that intrusion of mafic rock is absent or minimal, providing evidence that mechanical thinning accommodated the majority of crustal extension. From our observations we interpret that the western part of Socotra corresponds to the necking zone of a classic magma-poor continental margin, while the eastern part corresponds to the proximal domain.

Magmatic Ascent and Eruption Processes on Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Head, J. W.; Wilson, L.

2018-05-01

MESSENGER volcanic landform data and information on crustal composition allow us to model the generation, ascent, and eruption of magma; Mercury explosive and effusive eruption processes differ significantly from other terrestrial planetary bodies.

Imaging the Mount St. Helens Magmatic Systems using Magnetotellurics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, G. J.; Caldwell, T. G.; Heise, W.; Bibby, H. M.; Chertkoff, D. G.; Burgess, M. K.; Cull, J. P.; Cas, R. A.

2009-05-01

A detailed magnetotelluric survey of Mount St. Helens shows that a conduit like zone of high electrical conductivity beneath the volcano is connected to a larger zone of high conductivity at 15 km depth that extends eastward to Mount Adams. We interpret this zone to be a region of connected melt that acts as the reservoir for the silicic magma being extruded at the time of the magnetotelluric survey. This interpretation is consistent with a mid-crustal origin for the silicic component of the Mount St. Helens' magmas and provides an elegant explanation for a previously unexplained feature of the seismicity observed at the time of the catastrophic eruption in 1980. This zone of high mid-crustal conductivity extends northwards to near Mount Rainier suggesting a single region of connected melt comparable in size to the largest silicic volcanic systems known.

Do Hf isotopes in magmatic zircons represent those of their host rocks?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Di; Wang, Xiao-Lei; Cai, Yue; Goldstein, Steven L.; Yang, Tao

2018-04-01

Lu-Hf isotopic system in zircon is a powerful and widely used geochemical tracer in studying petrogenesis of magmatic rocks and crustal evolution, assuming that zircon Hf isotopes can represent initial Hf isotopes of their parental whole rock. However, this assumption may not always be valid. Disequilibrium partial melting of continental crust would preferentially melt out non-zircon minerals with high time-integrated Lu/Hf ratios and generate partial melts with Hf isotope compositions that are more radiogenic than those of its magma source. Dissolution experiments (with hotplate, bomb and sintering procedures) of zircon-bearing samples demonstrate this disequilibrium effect where partial dissolution yielded variable and more radiogenic Hf isotope compositions than fully dissolved samples. A case study from the Neoproterozoic Jiuling batholith in southern China shows that about half of the investigated samples show decoupled Hf isotopes between zircons and the bulk rocks. This decoupling could reflect complex and prolonged magmatic processes, such as crustal assimilation, magma mixing, and disequilibrium melting, which are consistent with the wide temperature spectrum from ∼630 °C to ∼900 °C by Ti-in-zircon thermometer. We suggest that magmatic zircons may only record the Hf isotopic composition of their surrounding melt during crystallization and it is uncertain whether their Hf isotopic compositions can represent the primary Hf isotopic compositions of the bulk magmas. In this regard, using zircon Hf isotopic compositions to trace crustal evolution may be biased since most of these could be originally from disequilibrium partial melts.

Isotopic links between atmospheric chemistry and the deep sulphur cycle on Mars.

PubMed

Franz, Heather B; Kim, Sang-Tae; Farquhar, James; Day, James M D; Economos, Rita C; McKeegan, Kevin D; Schmitt, Axel K; Irving, Anthony J; Hoek, Joost; Dottin, James

2014-04-17

The geochemistry of Martian meteorites provides a wealth of information about the solid planet and the surface and atmospheric processes that occurred on Mars. The degree to which Martian magmas may have assimilated crustal material, thus altering the geochemical signatures acquired from their mantle sources, is unclear. This issue features prominently in efforts to understand whether the source of light rare-earth elements in enriched shergottites lies in crustal material incorporated into melts or in mixing between enriched and depleted mantle reservoirs. Sulphur isotope systematics offer insight into some aspects of crustal assimilation. The presence of igneous sulphides in Martian meteorites with sulphur isotope signatures indicative of mass-independent fractionation suggests the assimilation of sulphur both during passage of magmas through the crust of Mars and at sites of emplacement. Here we report isotopic analyses of 40 Martian meteorites that represent more than half of the distinct known Martian meteorites, including 30 shergottites (28 plus 2 pairs, where pairs are separate fragments of a single meteorite), 8 nakhlites (5 plus 3 pairs), Allan Hills 84001 and Chassigny. Our data provide strong evidence that assimilation of sulphur into Martian magmas was a common occurrence throughout much of the planet's history. The signature of mass-independent fractionation observed also indicates that the atmospheric imprint of photochemical processing preserved in Martian meteoritic sulphide and sulphate is distinct from that observed in terrestrial analogues, suggesting fundamental differences between the dominant sulphur chemistry in the atmosphere of Mars and that in the atmosphere of Earth.

Crustal structure of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica: Implications for its tectonic evolution from a geophysical dataset.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalberg, Thomas; Gohl, Karsten

2013-04-01

The Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica is a centrepiece in understanding the history of the New Zealand - Antarctica breakup. This region plays a key role in plate kinematic reconstruction of the southern Pacific from the collision of the Hikurangi Plateau with the Gondwana subduction margin to the evolution of the West Antarctic Rift System. During two RV Polarstern cruises in 2006 and 2010, a large geophysical dataset was collected consisting of seismic refraction and reflection profiles, shipborne gravity and helicopter magnetic measurements. The data provide constraints on the crustal architecture, the structural evolution and the tectonic block formation during and after the Cretaceous continental breakup. We present two continental rise-to-shelf P-wave velocity models which were derived from forward travel-time modelling of ocean bottom hydrophone recordings which provide an insight into the crustal and upper mantle architecture beneath the Amundsen Sea Embayment for the first time. The sedimentary sequences and the basement were constrained by seismic reflection data. A 2-D density-depth model supports and complements the P-wave modelling. Observed P-wave velocities show 10 to 14 km thick crust of the continental rise and up to 28 km thick crust beneath the middle and inner shelf. The crust of the continental rise is characterized by a small gradient in thickness. Including horst and graben structures this can be associated with wide-mode rifting. A high velocity zone with velocities ranging between 7.1 and 7.6 km/s indicate magmatic underplating of variable thickness along the entire transect. We classify this margin as one of volcanic type rather than magma poor because of the high-velocity zone and seaward dipping reflectors observed from the seismic reflection data. We discuss the possibility of a serpentinized upper mantle caused by seawater penetration at the Marie Byrd Seamounts. The crustal structure, distinct zones in potential field anomalies indicate several phases of fully developed and failed rift systems and a possible branch of the West Antarctic Rift System in the Amundsen Sea Embayment.

Crustal Structure of the Flood Basalt Province of Ethiopia from Constrained 3-D Gravity Inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mammo, Tilahun

2013-12-01

The Oligocene Afar mantle plume resulted in the eruption of a large volume of basaltic magma, including major sequences of rhyolitic ignimbrites, in a short span of time across Ethiopia. In order to assess the impact of these magmatic processes on the crust and to investigate the general crustal configuration beneath the Ethiopian plateau, northern part of the Main Ethiopian Rift and the Afar depression, analysis and modeling of the gravity field have been conducted. The Bouguer gravity map is dominated by long-wavelength anomalies that primarily arise from the isostatic compensation of the topography. Consequently, anomalies within the crust/upper mantle are masked and quantitative interpretation becomes difficult. The long-wavelength anomalies are approximated using admittance technique and subsequently removed from the Bouguer anomalies to obtain the residual isostatic anomalies. The residual map contains both short- and intermediate-wavelength anomalies related to geologic and tectonic features. The long-wavelength regional isostatic field is used to map the crust-mantle interface and the results are in good agreement with those determined by other geophysical methods. Seismic constrained gravity inversion was performed on the isostatic residual field and series of three-dimensional models have been constructed for the structures of the crust and upper mantle beneath the uplifted and rifted flood basalt province of northern Ethiopia. The inversion results have shown that the NW plateau has thick crust that rests on normal lithospheric mantle. Afar, On the other hand, is marked by thin stretched crust resting on a low-density upper mantle indicating a hotter thermal regime and partial melt. No lithospheric mantle is observed beneath Afar. The models further indicate the presence of an extensive sub-crustal thick (~12 km on average) and high-density (~3.06 gm/cc) mafic accreted igneous layer of fractionated cumulate (magmatic underplating) beneath the NW plateau. The study suggests that the underplate was fundamental to the accretion process and may have played a role in compensating most of the plateau uplift and in localizing stresses.

Volcanic Perspective on Plutonism based on Patterns in Evolution in Long-Lived Continental Volcanic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grunder, A. L.; Harris, R. N.; Walker, B. A.; Giles, D.; Klemetti, E. W.

2008-12-01

Volcanic rocks represent a biased view of magmatism, but provide critical quenched samples and temporal constraints of magmatic evolution obscured in the plutonic record. We here draw on the records from the Aucanquilcha Volcanic Cluster (AVC; 10 to 0 Ma) in northern Chile and from the mid-Tertiary volcanic field in east-central Nevada (ECNVF; ~40-32 Ma) to consider how evolutionary patterns of intermediate composition volcanic systems bear on the magmatic reworking of the continental crust by plutons and batholiths. Despite disparate tectonic setting (subduction vs extension) and volumes (70 km crust for the ~300 km 3 AVC versus and ~40 km crust for the ~3000 km 3 ECNVF) both volcanic systems share a history of early compositionally diverse volcanism, followed by a stage of more centralized and voluminous dacitic volcanism, which in turn is followed by waning of volcanism. The compositional change and the rapid increase in magma output rate after about half the lifetime of the system is a characteristic pattern of long- lived continental volcanic systems based on a compilation of volume-composition data. The middle, voluminous stage corresponds to the hottest upper crustal conditions, deduced from Al-in-amphibole geothermobarometry and Ti-in-zircon thermometry of the AVC. The middle stage rocks also have textures indicating hybridization of mixed magmas. Simple thermal models of heat input via intraplating readily allow for generation of partially molten crust above the sill, but they do not emulate the rapid increase of magma after some incubation time. We propose that there is a feedback in which a critical thickness of partially molten crust, consisting in part of magmatic precursors, can be readily convectively stirred and mixed with magma of the underplating sill, rapidly creating a large, hybrid and relatively hot body of magma. Stirring facilitates separation of a liquid-enriched extract. The volume of liquid extracted may be small relative to residual crystal-liquid mush, so that compositional differences between plutons and eruptives are cryptic.

Petrology and Geochemistry of an Upper Crustal Mafic Complex- Hidden Lakes, Sierra Nevada Batholith, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, M.; Bucholz, C. E.; Jagoutz, O. E.; Eddy, M. P.

2017-12-01

Magmatic differentiation in arc settings is likely a polybaric process, with crystallization of primitive basalts occurring primarily in the lower crust and more evolved melts in the upper crust. The general lack of mafic-ultramafic cumulates in the silicic paleo-arc upper crust supports this model. However, the Sierra Nevada Batholith preserves numerous mafic intrusions up to 25 km2, suggesting that significant volumes of mafic magma may differentiate at shallow crustal levels. Previous studies on several such intrusions report ages contemporaneous with Cretaceous batholith emplacement (Coleman et al., 1995), but only a few have investigated their chemistry and relationship to arc magmatism (Frost, 1987; Frost & Mahood, 1987; Sisson et al., 1996). We present field observations, petrography, mineral chemistry, and bulk rock compositional data for the Hidden Lakes Mafic Complex (HLMC), located in the Central Sierra Nevada Batholith. Preliminary CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb zircon ages constrain crystallization between 90 and 95 Ma, slightly older than the surrounding Cretaceous felsic plutons (89-90 Ma) and younger than adjacent Jurassic granodiorites (172 Ma). This 2.2 km2 complex consists of biotite+amphibole gabbros through qtz-monzonites, in gradational contact, and contains local pods of biotite- and amphibole-bearing olivine-orthopyroxenites and gabbronorites. Mineral compositions and field relations suggest that these lithologies were derived from a common crystallization sequence. The most primitive olivine-pyroxenite contains olivine and orthopyroxene in equilibrium with a melt with Mg# 54. Subsequent crystallization over a temperature range of 1025 to 700°C produced more evolved lithologies up to qtz-monzonites. Al-in-hornblende calculations for HLMC qtz-monzonites indicate a crystallization depth of 9-10 km, well into the upper crust. The early crystallization of amphibole requires a parental basalt with >6 wt% H2O, which may have enabled it to ascend into the upper crust due to decreased density and viscosity. However, the estimated parental melt is not primitive (rather than Mg# 70), suggesting that differentiation of a more mafic precursor parental melt in the lower crust modified the chemistry and rheological properties of the melt prior to its ascent into the upper crust.

Orogenic inheritance and continental breakup: Wilson Cycle-control on rift and passive margin evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiffer, C.; Petersen, K. D.

2016-12-01

Rifts often develop along suture zones between previously collided continents, as part of the Wilson cycle. The North Atlantic is such an example, formed where Pangaea broke apart along Caledonian and Variscan sutures. Dipping upper mantle structures in E. Greenland and Scotland, have been interpreted as fossil subduction zones and the seismic signature indicates the presence of eclogite and serpentinite. We speculate that this orogenic material may impose a rheological control upon post-orogenic extension and we use thermo-mechanical modelling to explore such effects. Our model includes the following features: 1) Crustal thickness anomalies, 2) Eclogitised mafic crust emplaced in the mantle lithosphere, and 3) Hydrated mantle peridotite (serpentinite) formed in a pre-rift subduction setting. Our models indicate that the inherited structures control the location and the structural and magmatic evolution of the rift. Rifting of thin initial crust allows for relatively large amounts of serpentinite to be preserved within the uppermost mantle. This facilitates rapid continental breakup and serpentinite exhumation. Magmatism does not occur before continental breakup. Rifts in thicker crust preserve little or no serpentinite and thinning is more focused in the mantle lithosphere, rather than in the crust. Continental breakup is therefore preceded by magmatism. This implies that pre-rift orogenic properties may determine whether magma-poor or magma-rich conjugate margins are formed. Our models show that inherited orogenic eclogite and serpentinite are deformed and partially emplaced either as dipping structures within the lithospheric mantle or at the base of the thinned continental crust. The former is consistent with dipping sub-Moho reflectors often observed in passive margins. The latter provides an alternative interpretation of `lower crustal bodies' which are often regarded as igneous bodies. An additional implication of our models is that serpentinite, often observed seismically or exposed at the sea floor of passive margins, was formed prior to rifting in addition to syn-rift, fault-driven hydrothermal processes. Whether lower crustal and serpentinite bodies are produced previously or during rifting is of relevance for the estimation of thinning-factors of the pre-existing crust.

A Thermodynamic Approach for Modeling H2O-CO2 Solubility in Alkali-rich Mafic Magmas at Mid-crustal Pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allison, C. M.; Roggensack, K.; Clarke, A. B.

2017-12-01

Volatile solubility in magmas is dependent on several factors, including composition and pressure. Mafic (basaltic) magmas with high concentrations of alkali elements (Na and K) are capable of dissolving larger quantities of H2O and CO2 than low-alkali basalt. The exsolution of abundant gases dissolved in alkali-rich mafic magmas can contribute to large explosive eruptions. Existing volatile solubility models for alkali-rich mafic magmas are well calibrated below 200 MPa, but at greater pressures the experimental data is sparse. To allow for accurate interpretation of mafic magmatic systems at higher pressures, we conducted a set of mixed H2O-CO2 volatile solubility experiments between 400 and 600 MPa at 1200 °C in six mafic compositions with variable alkali contents. Compositions include magmas from volcanoes in Italy, Antarctica, and Arizona. Results from our experiments indicate that existing volatile solubility models for alkali-rich mafic magmas, if extrapolated beyond their calibrated range, over-predict CO2 solubility at mid-crustal pressures. Physically, these results suggest that volatile exsolution can occur at deeper levels than what can be resolved from the lower-pressure experimental data. Existing thermodynamic models used to calculate volatile solubility at different pressures require two experimentally derived parameters. These parameters represent the partial molar volume of the condensed volatile species in the melt and its equilibrium constant, both calculated at a standard temperature and pressure. We derived these parameters for each studied composition and the corresponding thermodynamic model shows good agreement with the CO2 solubility data of the experiments. A general alkali basalt solubility model was also constructed by establishing a relationship between magma composition and the thermodynamic parameters. We utilize cation fractions from our six compositions along with four compositions from the experimental literature in a linear regression to generate this compositional relationship. Our revised general model provides a new framework to interpret volcanic data, yielding greater depths for melt inclusion entrapment than previously calculated using other models, and it can be applied to mafic magma compositions for which no experimental data is available.

Short Magma Residence Times at Mt. Rainier and the Probable Absence of a Large, Integrated, and Long-lived Magma Reservoir System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sisson, T. W.; Lanphere, M. A.

2003-12-01

Intensive, high-precision K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology have proven essential for producing modern geologic maps of volcanoes and from these determining the volcanoes' time-volume histories. If sufficiently abundant, these data can also reveal aspects of the magma supply system. For Cascade volcanoes a general result has been the demonstration that edifice growth is highly episodic. Mount Rainier grew in the last 500,000 years atop the remains of an ancestral edifice that was active in the same location 1 - 2 Myr ago. The 500,000 year history of the modern edifice falls into four stages of alternating high and low magmatic output of subequal duration, but major and trace element compositions of eruptives show no correlation with volcano growth stages. Instead, the same spectrum of magmas (andesite to low-Si dacite) erupted throughout the history of the volcano with compositions in the same relative abundances. Superimposed on this seemingly null result are at least 6 brief but pronounced excursions in magma trace-element compositions. Concentrations of Zr, Ba, or Sr can double and then return to background values passing into and out of a single flow or flow-group. Some excursions are tightly bracketed by mapping and by measured ages and have durations no more than the geochronologic measurement precision of about 10,000 years. True excursion durations are potentially much shorter. The brevity and abrupt onsets and cessations of these compositional excursions are evidence against the presence of a sizeable, long-lived magma reservoir anywhere beneath the volcano, including a MASH zone in the lower crust, that would have attenuated, dampened, and homogenized compositional excursions introduced into the magmatic system. Instead, we take 10,000 years as a probable upper limit to the average residence time of magma batches transiting the crustal portion of Mount Rainier's plumbing system. A consistent scenario is that parental magmas enter the crust, differentiate, assimilate, and either erupt or solidify in less than 10,000 years. Geochronologic evidence from much larger magmatic systems (Reid and coworkers, Long Valley, Yellowstone) suggests that more productive systems can have much longer average residence times than modestly active arc stratovolcanoes like Mt. Rainier.

Tectonomagmatic significance of the picrite-rhyolite volcanism in the Northern Ethiopian plateau area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natali, Claudio; Beccaluva, Luigi; Bianchini, Gianluca; Siena, Franca

2010-05-01

The Oligocene Continental Flood Basalts (CFB) of the Northern Ethiopia and the conjugate Yemen province testifies a huge volcanic event related to the "Afar plume" occurred at ca. 30 Ma (in 1 Ma or less; Hofmann et al., 1997) prior to the continental rifting stage. The zonal arrangement of CFB lavas with Low-Ti tholeiites (LT) in the west, High-Ti tholeiites (HT1) to the east and very High-Ti transitional basalts and picrites (HT2, TiO2 4-6 wt%) closer to the Afar triple junction has been considered a record of magmas generated from the flanks to the centre of a plume head, currently corresponding to the Afar hotspot (Beccaluva et al., 2009). In the central-eastern part of the plateau (Lalibela area), neighbouring the Afar escarpment, abundant rhyolites characterize the upper part of the volcanic sequence and have been interpreted as the differentiated products of CFB magmas (Ayalew et al., 2006). The unusual association of picrite and rhyolite magmas erupted in an elongated area, parallel to the Afar escarpment, appears to be related to peculiar tectonomagmatic events developed in the apical zone of a stretched lithosphere impinged by a mantle plume. As previously suggested, the HT basaltic and picritic magmas could have been generated in the innermost part (core) of the plume head from the hottest, deepest and most metasomatised mantle domains, enriched by "plume components" (Beccaluva et al., 2009). The late stages of these magmatic events were accompanied by the onset of continental rifting, with faulting and block tilting, leading to favourable conditions for magma differentiation in shallow (crustal) chambers located N-S along the future Afar Escarpment. Quantitative petrological modelling shows that efficient fractional crystallization processes of HT transitional basaltic magmas could result in highly differentiated peralkaline rhyolitic products, generally localized at the top (lower density) of the magma reservoirs. From these latter, abundant rhyolitic magma were erupted (sometimes alternating to HT basalts and picrites) during the paroxystic extensional phases which ultimately led to continental break-up and the formation of the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-East African rift system centred in the Afar "triple junction". References: Ayalew et al. (2006). Geol. Soc. London Sp. Pub. 259, 121-130. Beccaluva et al. (2009). J. Petrol. 50, 1377-1403. Hofmann et al. (1997). Nature 389, 838-841.

Devonian granitoids and their hosted mafic enclaves in the Gorny Altai terrane, northwestern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: crust-mantle interaction in a continental arc setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ming; Sun, Min

2016-04-01

Granitoids are a major component in the upper continental crust and hold key information on how did the continental crust grow and differentiate. This study focuses on the Yaloman intrusive complex from the Gorny Altai terrane, northwestern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The association of granitoids and mafic enclaves can provide important clues on the source nature, petrogenetic processes and geodynamic setting of the Yaloman intrusive complex, which in turn will shed light on the crustal evolution in the northwestern CAOB. Zircon U-Pb dating shows that the granitoids, including quartz diorites and granodiorites, were emplaced in ca. 389-387 Ma. The moderate Na2O + K2O contents and low A/CNK values indicate that these rocks belong to the sub-alkaline series with metaluminous to weakly peraluminous compositions. The granitoids yield two-stage zircon Hf model ages of ca. 0.79-1.07 Ga and whole-rock Nd model ages of ca. 0.90-0.99 Ga, respectively, implying that they were mainly sourced from Neoproterozoic juvenile crustal materials. The mafic enclaves show an almost identical crystallization age of ca. 389 Ma. The identification of coarse-grained xenocrysts and acicular apatites, together with the fine-grained texture, makes us infer that these enclaves are likely to represent magmatic globules commingled with the host magmas. The low SiO2 and high MgO contents of the mafic enclaves further suggest that substantial mantle-derived mafic melts were probably involved in their formation. Importantly, the SiO2 contents of the granitoids and mafic enclaves are well correlated with other major elements and most of the trace elements. Also a broadly negative correlation exists between the SiO2 contents and whole-rock epsilon Nd (390 Ma) values of the granitoids. Given the observation of reversely zoned plagioclases within the granitoids and the common occurrence of igneous mafic enclaves, we propose that magma mixing probably played an important role in the formation of the Yaloman intrusive complex. Our data imply that mantle-derived melts not only provided heat to melt the pre-existing Neoproterozoic crustal materials but also served as an important component in controlling the geochemical diversity of the granitoids. The mineral assemblages and compositions suggest that the Yaloman intrusive complex was possibly crystallized from a relatively oxidizing and water-enriched magma chamber, indicative of a continental-arc related tectonic setting in stead of a collisional origin as previously proposed. Collectively, our study suggests that the widespread Devonian granitoids within the Gorny Altai terrane signify significant vertical crustal growth and differentiation via underplating of subduction-related mafic melts. Acknowledgement This study is financially supported by the Major Research Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2014CB44801 and 2014CB448000), Hong Kong Research Grant Council (HKU705311P and HKU704712P) and National Science Foundation of China (41273048).

The 12.4 ka Upper Apoyeque Tephra, Nicaragua: stratigraphy, dispersal, composition, magma reservoir conditions and trigger of the plinian eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehrmann, Heidi; Freundt, Armin; Kutterolf, Steffen

2016-04-01

Highly-explosive plinian eruptions belong to the most devastating phenomena of volcanic activity. Upper Apoyeque Tephra (UAq), erupted in close vicinity of the Managua city region in west-central Nicaragua with two million inhabitants, was formed by a rhyodacitic plinian eruption at 12.4 ka BP. The fallout tephra was dispersed from a progressively rising plinian eruption column that became exposed to different wind speeds and directions at different heights in the stratosphere, leading to an asymmetric tephra fan with different facies in the western and southern sector. Tephra dispersal data integrated with geochemical compositions of lava flows in the area facilitate to delimit the source vent to the south of Chiltepe Peninsula. UAq, Lower Apoyeque Tephra, Apoyeque Ignimbrite, and two lithic clasts in San Isidro Tephra together form a trend distinct from that of the younger tephras and lavas at Chiltepe Volcanic Complex in a TiO2 versus K2O diagram, compositionally precluding a genetic relationship of UAq with the present-day Apoyeque Volcano. Apoyeque Volcano in its present shape did not exist at the time of the UAq eruption. The surface expression of the UAq vent is now obscured by younger eruption products and lake water. Pressure-temperature constraints based on mineral-melt equilibria indicate at least two magma storage levels. Clinopyroxenes crystallised in a deep crustal reservoir at ˜24 km depth as inferred from clinopyroxene-melt inclusion pairs. Chemical disequilibrium between clinopyroxenes and matrix glasses indicate rapid magma ascent to the shallower reservoir at ˜5.4 km depth, where magnesiohornblendes and plagioclase fractionated at a temperature of ˜830°C. Water concentrations ranged at ˜5.5 wt. % as derived from congruent results of amphibole and plagioclase-melt hygrometry. The eruption was triggered through injection of a hotter, more primitive melt into a water-supersaturated reservoir.

Crustal Deformation Associated With the 2000 Eruption and Degassing Process of Miyakejima, Izu Islands, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimura, T.; Ozawa, S.; Murakami, M.; Sagiya, T.; Yarai, H.; Tada, T.; Kaidzu, M.

2001-12-01

Miyakejima is located in the northern part of the Izu Islands lying along the boundary between the Pacific plate and the Philippine Sea plate. Miyakejima volcano erupted on Miyakejima is located in the northern part of the Izu Islands which are a chain of volcanoes lying along the boundary between the Pacific plate and the Philippine Sea plate. Miyakejima volcano erupted on June 27, 2000 after the quiescence of 17 years. First eruption is a small submarine eruption 1.5km off the western coast of Miyakejima. Subsequently, several summit eruptions as tephra ejecta occurred in July and August 2000. The summit collapsed just after the first summit eruption and a caldera was formed for 40 days. Collapsed volume and erupted volume are estimated to be 0.6km3 and 0.02km3, respectively. In September 2000, the collapse caldera started emitting a large amount of volcanic gasses. A peak amount of degassing SO2 is ~70000 ton/day in the period from October to December 2000. Amount of volcanic gas is decreasing gradually and is 15000 ton/day (SO2 ) now. However, it is still larger than other active volcanoes. Permanent GPS data reveals the spatial pattern and time evolution of ground deformation. Inflation of Miyakejima was observed by continuous GPS and leveling before the 2000 eruption. The observed displacements associated with the 2000 eruption show radial pattern suggesting shrinking of the island and subsidence. This pattern continues for 14 months from July 2000. Though the rate of crustal deformation is almost constant from July to August 2000, it is decreasing exponentially with a time constant of ~150days from September 2000. We assumed a point deflation source and inverted the observed displacement to estimate parameters of the point source. Volume decrease and depth of the deflation source is 0.12km3 and 4.2km from July to August 2000. We interpret that it is the squeezing of magma from a magma chamber of Miyakejima volcano. The displacement observed in neighbor islands suggests that the squeezed magma and collapsed material of Miyakejima migrated northwestward by as much as 30km in the form of a dike intrusion. Volume decrease and depth of the deflation source is 2.9km and 0.016km3 from September 2000 to May 2001. Decreasing rate of the deflation source is an order of magnitude smaller than that of the previous period. We considered that degassing from magma mainly causes the deflation of magma chamber after September 2000. The decreasing rate estimated from crustal deformation was quantitatively consistent with that estimated from the rate of the emitting volcanic gasses (Kazahaya, personal communication). This consideration suggests that the magma does not migrate any more and that the magma chamber is in closed system. However, recent rate of the deformation is much smaller than that calculated from the degassing rate. This implies that new magma is supplied to the magma chamber from deeper region or that the depth of magma head becomes deeper in a conduit from the magma chamber to the caldera.

The evolution of the magmatic arc of Southern Peru (200-60 Ma), Arequipa area: insight from geochemical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demouy, S.; Benoit, M.; De Saint Blanquat, M.; Brunet, P.

2012-12-01

Cordilleran-type batholiths are built by prolonged arc activity along continental margins and may provide detailed magmatic records of the subduction system evolution. The magmas produced in subduction context involve both mantellic and crustal end members and are subject to various petrological processes. The MASH zones (Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988), at the basis of the continental crust, are the best places for the genesis of such hybrid magmas. The various geochemical signatures observed in the plutonic rocks, may also be attributed to source heterogeneities or generated by subsequent petrological processes. This study has focused in the Arequipa section of the Coastal Batholith of Southern Peru (200-60 Ma), in an area extending over 80x40 km. Major and trace elements as well as Sr and Nd isotopic analyses were performed in a set of 100 samples ranging from gabbro to granite. The obtained data highlight the wide heterogeneity of the geochemical signatures that is not related to the classification of the rocks. In first step, Rb/Sr systematic was used to isolate a set of samples plotting along a Paleocene isochron and defining a cogenetic suite. This suite appears to have evolved by simple fractional crystallization. By using reverse modeling, the parameters controlling the fractional crystallization process were defined, as partition coefficients, initial concentrations and amount of fractional crystallization. The other magmatic suites display a wide range of isotopic and geochemical signatures. To explain this heterogeneity, a model involving competition between fractional crystallization and magma mixing into MASH zones was proposed. A large range of hybrid magma types is potentially generated during the maturation of the system, but this range tends to disappear as fractionation and mixing occurs. Finally the model predicts the genesis of a homogeneous reservoir created at depth, from which magmas may evolve only by fractional crystallization. Therefore stabilization of this reservoir is directly related to the thermal conditions present at the basis of the continental crust, and allows the production of large volumes at the batholiths level, known as flare-up events. These results are critical in order to estimate the amount of crustal growth and thickening in the Arequipa area, as they provide the basis for the estimation of the mantle versus crustal contribution during the magma genesis.

The Origin of Tholeiitic and Calc-Alkaline Trends in Arc Magmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luffi, P. I.; Lee, C.

2012-12-01

It has long been recognized that tholeiitic (TH, high-Fe/Mg) and calc-alkaline (CA, low-Fe/Mg) magmatic series define the two most important igneous differentiation trends shaping Earth's crust. While oceanic crust formation at mid-ocean ridges is typically confined to a TH trend, arc magmatism at convergent margins, considered to significantly contribute to continent formation, generates both TH and CA trends. Thus, the origin of these trends - a key issue to understanding how continental crust forms - is matter of ongoing debate. Prevalent factors thought to contribute to the TH-CA duality are: 1) redox conditions (oxygen fugacity, fO2) and H2O contents in magmas, which control the onset and abundance of high-Fe/Mg oxide mineral fractionation; 2) crystallization depths that regulate the fractionating solid assemblage and thereby the solid/liquid Kd(Fe-Mg). Relying on an extensive geochemical dataset of modern arc volcanics and thermodynamic phase equilibria modeling, here we examine the validity and relative importance of these factors in arc petrogenesis. First, to discriminate igneous rocks more efficiently, we formulate an improved CA/TH index solely based on FeO-MgO systematics. We then confirm on a quantitative basis that, on regional scales, arcs formed on thick crust tend to be more calk-alkaline than those emplaced on thinner crust are, and show that the effect of fO2 on the CA/TH index in arc magmas is more significant than that of H2O. Importantly, we demonstrate that CA trends typical for continental arcs only form when crystal fractionation is accompanied by the assimilation of oxidized crustal components; in the absence of buffering oxidized assimilants fractionating magmas follow a TH trend more common in island arcs, irrespective of their H2O content and initial fO2 level. We find that high-pressure fractionation of amphibole and garnet in arc magmas occurs too late to have a significant influence on the CA/TH index; in addition, garnet-melt and amphibole-melt Kd(Fe-Mg) values may be too low to account for CA trends observed in thick continental arcs. Hence, depths of crystallization do not appear to influence the CA/TH index directly. We speculate that typical island arcs are dominantly tholeiitic because here crustal assimilation is inhibited and magma throughput is enhanced by extensional tectonic regimes. In contrast, the dominantly calc-alkaline nature of thicker continental arcs may be the consequence of efficient assimilation of oxidized crustal materials in a compressional environment restraining magma throughput.

Generation and Reworking of Archaean and Hadean Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkesworth, C.; Kemp, T.; Storey, C.; Dhuime, B.

2008-12-01

Combined Hf and O isotopes in well-dated zircons are increasingly used to investigate the age of the crustal source rocks of detrital and inherited zircons. O isotopes are used to screen out samples that may have a sediment contribution in the parental magma, since sediments yield hybrid model ages that are difficult to interpret. Mafic and granitic rocks also have different Lu/Hf ratios, and so in principle the Hf isotope ratios of zircons can be used to investigate the broad composition of the average crust. The unradiogenic Hf isotope compositions of the Jack Hills zircons from Western Australia indicate the existence of enriched (crustal) reservoirs by at least 4.3 Ga (Y. Amelin et al., 1998, Nature v. 399, p. 252- 255; T. M. Harrison et al., 2005, Science, v. 310, p. 1947-1950). We report in situ Hf isotope analyses of the Jack Hills zircons in which the Pb isotope age information is measured concurrently with the Hf isotope data. The simple data arrays provide clear evidence for Earth differentiation at 4.5 Ga, with the production of both continental crust-like material and a mafic crustal reservoir with higher Lu/Hf. The continued resampling of this reservoir over at least 1.5 Ga argues for a substantial stabilised volume of mafic crust, and, in tandem with oxygen isotope data, the existence of Hadean continents. Zircons remain poor windows into the upper mantle. We therefore investigate Nd isotopes in well-dated titanites; they have closure temperatures for Pb in the range 600-750oC and they can retain cores with distinct age and REE chemistry to subsequent rim overgrowths. Nd isotopes offer a complementary approach to Hf in zircon that can be used to construct the both depleted mantle evolution and crustal growth curves.

Variable styles of rifting expressed in crustal structure across three rift segments of the Gulf of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizarralde, D. D.; Axen, G. J.; Brown, H. E.; Fletcher, J. M.; Fernandez, A. G.; Harding, A. J.; Holbrook, W. S.; Kent, G. M.; Paramo, P.; Sutherland, F. H.; Umhoefer, P. J.

2007-05-01

We present a summary of results from a crustal-scale seismic experiment conducted in the southern Gulf of California. This experiment, the PESCADOR experiment, imaged crustal structure across three rift segments, the Alarcon, Guaymas, and San José del Cabo to Puerto Vallarta (Cabo-PV) segments, using seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection data acquired with airgun sources and recorded by closely spaced (10-15 km) ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs). The imaged crustal structure reveals a surprisingly large variation in rifting style and magmatism between these segments: the Alarcon segment is a wide rift with apparently little syn-rift magmatism; the Guaymas segment is a narrow, magmatically robust rift; and the Cabo-PV segment is a narrow, magmatically "normal" rift. Our explanation for the observed variability is non-traditional in that we do not invoke mantle temperature, the factor commonly invoked to explain end-member volcanic and non-volcanic rifted margins, as the source of the considerable, though non-end-member variability we observe. Instead, we invoke mantle depletion related to pre-rift arc volcanism to account for observed wide, magma-poor rifting and mantle fertility and possibly the influence of sediments to account for robust rift and post-rift magmatism. These factors may commonly vary over small lateral spatial scales in regions that have transitioned from convergent to extensional tectonics, as is the case for the Gulf of California and many other rifts. Our hypothesis suggests that substantial lateral variability may exist within the uppermost mantle beneath the Gulf of California today, and it is hoped that ongoing efforts to image upper mantle structure here will provide tests for this hypothesis.

Crustal recycling through intraplate magmatism: Evidence from the Trans-North China Orogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xiao-Fang; Santosh, M.

2014-12-01

The North China Craton (NCC) preserves the history of crustal growth and craton formation during the early Precambrian followed by extensive lithospheric thinning and craton destruction in the Mesozoic. Here we present evidence for magma mixing and mingling associated with the Mesozoic tectonic processes from the Central NCC, along the Trans-North China Orogen, a paleo suture along which the Eastern and Western Blocks were amalgamated at end of Paleoproterozoic. Our investigations focus on two granitoids - the Chiwawu and the Mapeng plutons. Typical signatures for the interaction of mafic and felsic magmas are observed in these plutons such as: (1) the presence of diorite enclaves; (2) flow structures; (3) schlierens; (4) varying degrees of hybridization; and (5) macro-, and micro-textures. Porphyritic feldspar crystals show numerous mineral inclusions as well as rapakivi and anti-rapakivi textures. We present bulk chemistry, zircon U-Pb geochronology and REE data, and Lu-Hf isotopes on the granitoids, diorite enclaves, and surrounding basement rocks to constrain the timing of intraplate magmatism and processes of interaction between felsic and mafic magmas. Our LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb data show that the pophyritic granodiorite was emplaced at 129.7 ± 1.0 Ma. The diorite enclaves within this granodiorite show identical ages (128.2 ± 1.5 Ma). The basement TTG (tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) gneisses formed at ca. 2.5 Ga coinciding with the major period of crustal accretion in the NCC. The 1.85 Ga age from zircons in the gabbro with positive Hf isotope signature may be related to mantle magmatism during post-collisional extension following the assembly of the Western and Eastern Blocks of the NCC along the Trans-North China Orogen. Our Hf isotope data indicate that the Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic basement rocks were derived from complex sources of both juvenile magmas and reworked ancient crust, whereas the magma source for the Mesozoic units are dominantly reworked basement rocks. Our study provides a window to intraplate magmatism triggered by mantle upwelling beneath a paleosuture in the North China Craton.

Melt production constrained by the topographic signature of the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, J. P.; Ward, K. M.; de Silva, S. L.; Zandt, G.; Beck, S. L.; Finnegan, N. J.

2015-12-01

The Altiplano-Puna Magma Body (APMB) is a ~200 km diameter, ~10 km thick elliptical zone of low seismic shear velocity interpreted as partial melt within the mid crust of the Central Andes (Ward et al., 2014). It is thought to be the crustal magmatic source for a flare-up of large-volume ignimbrites since 10 Ma (e.g. de Silva et al., 1989), and recent rapid uplift events such as those at Uturuncu volcano appear to be associated with magmatism from the APMB at depth (e.g., Fialko and Pearse, 2011). Hence, the APMB is a first-order geologic feature on par with the Sierra Nevada batholith in CA. Here we use the topographic signature of the low-density APMB in order to quantitatively constrain the melt production necessary to generate a magmatic zone of this size. A long-wavelength, ~1 km high topographic dome spatially coincides with the seismically measured extent of the APMB. The peak of the long wavelength dome acts as a regional drainage divide, and exposed basement rock elevations show that doming is a structural feature and does not reflect solely the accumulation of volcanic deposits on the plateau. Additionally, the minimal free-air gravity anomaly above the APMB and the dome's length scale suggest that the uplift is isostatically compensated. Based on a buried load isostatic model (e.g., Forsyth, 1985), the dome above the APMB implies that 5.6-5.8 km of crustal thickening occurred during the emplacement of the magma body. Our estimate compares well with calculations of crustal addition using magma chamber volume and a standard melt mixing model (Ward et al., 2014), and suggests that the magma production rate for the APMB may be within the range of 70-117 km3/km/yr, similar to rates of the Late Cretaceous magmatic episode in the Sierra Nevada Batholith (e.g., Ducea, 2001). Surface topography may therefore be able to provide quantitative constraints on the magnitude of pluton-scale melt fluxes.

Timing and composition of continental volcanism at Harrat Hutaymah, western Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duncan, Robert A.; Kent, Adam J R; Thornber, Carl; Schliedler, Tyler D; Al-Amri, Abdullah M

2016-01-01

Harrat Hutaymah is an alkali basalt volcanic field in north-central Saudi Arabia, at the eastern margin of a large Neogene continental, intraplate magmatic province. Lava flow, tephra and spatter cone compositions in the field include alkali olivine basalts and basanites. These compositions contrast with the predominantly tholeiitic, fissure-fed basalts found along the eastern margin of the Red Sea. The Hutaymah lava flows were erupted through Proterozoic arc-associated plutonic and meta-sedimentary rocks of the Arabian shield, and commonly contain a range of sub-continental lithospheric xenoliths, although the lavas themselves show little indication of crustal contamination. Previous radiometric dating of this volcanic field (a single published K–Ar age; 1.8 Ma) is suspiciously old given the field measurement of normal magnetic polarity only (i.e. Brunhes interval, ≤ 780 Ka). We report new age determinations on 14 lava flows by the 40Ar–39Ar laser step heating method, all younger than ~ 850 Ka, to better constrain the time frame of volcanism, and major, trace and rare earth element compositions to describe the chemical variation of volcanic activity at Harrat Hutaymah. Crystal fractionation was dominated by olivine ± clinopyroxene at a range of upper mantle and crustal pressures. Rapid ascent and eruption of magma is indicated by the array of lower crustal and lithospheric xenoliths observed in lava flows and tephra. Modeling suggests 1–7% melting of an enriched asthenospheric mantle source occurred beneath Harrat Hutaymah under a relatively thick lithospheric cap (60–80 km).

Timing and composition of continental volcanism at Harrat Hutaymah, western Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duncan, Robert A.; Kent, Adam J. R.; Thornber, Carl R.; Schlieder, Tyler D.; Al-Amri, Abdullah M.

2016-03-01

Harrat Hutaymah is an alkali basalt volcanic field in north-central Saudi Arabia, at the eastern margin of a large Neogene continental, intraplate magmatic province. Lava flow, tephra and spatter cone compositions in the field include alkali olivine basalts and basanites. These compositions contrast with the predominantly tholeiitic, fissure-fed basalts found along the eastern margin of the Red Sea. The Hutaymah lava flows were erupted through Proterozoic arc-associated plutonic and meta-sedimentary rocks of the Arabian shield, and commonly contain a range of sub-continental lithospheric xenoliths, although the lavas themselves show little indication of crustal contamination. Previous radiometric dating of this volcanic field (a single published K-Ar age; 1.8 Ma) is suspiciously old given the field measurement of normal magnetic polarity only (i.e. Brunhes interval, ≤ 780 Ka). We report new age determinations on 14 lava flows by the 40Ar-39Ar laser step heating method, all younger than ~ 850 Ka, to better constrain the time frame of volcanism, and major, trace and rare earth element compositions to describe the chemical variation of volcanic activity at Harrat Hutaymah. Crystal fractionation was dominated by olivine ± clinopyroxene at a range of upper mantle and crustal pressures. Rapid ascent and eruption of magma is indicated by the array of lower crustal and lithospheric xenoliths observed in lava flows and tephra. Modeling suggests 1-7% melting of an enriched asthenospheric mantle source occurred beneath Harrat Hutaymah under a relatively thick lithospheric cap (60-80 km).

Formation of cordierite-bearing lavas during anatexis in the lower crust beneath Lipari Island (Aeolian arc, Italy)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Di, Martino C.; Forni, F.; Frezzotti, M.L.; Palmeri, R.; Webster, J.D.; Ayuso, R.A.; Lucchi, F.; Tranne, C.A.

2011-01-01

Cordierite-bearing lavas (CBL;~105 ka) erupted from the Mt. S. Angelo volcano at Lipari (Aeolian arc, Italy) are high-K andesites, displaying a range in the geochemical and isotopic compositions that reflect heterogeneity in the source and/or processes. CBL consist of megacrysts of Ca-plagioclase and clinopyroxene, euhedral crystals of cordierite and garnet, microphenocrysts of orthopyroxene and plagioclase, set in a heterogeneous rhyodacitic-rhyolitic groundmass containing abundant metamorphic and gabbroic xenoliths. New petrographic, chemical and isotopic data indicate formation of CBL by mixing of basaltic-andesitic magmas and high-K peraluminous rhyolitic magmas of anatectic origin and characterize partial melting processes in the lower continental crust of Lipari. Crustal anatectic melts generated through two main dehydration-melting peritectic reactions of metasedimentary rocks: (1) Biotite + Aluminosilicate + Quartz + Albite = Garnet + Cordierite + K-feldspar + Melt; (2) Biotite + Garnet + Quartz = Orthopyroxene + Cordierite + K-feldspar + Melt. Their position into the petrogenetic grid suggests that heating and consequent melting of metasedimentary rocks occurred at temperatures of 725 < T < 900??C and pressures of 0.4-0.45 GPa. Anatexis in the lower crust of Lipari was induced by protracted emplacement of basic magmas in the lower crust (~130 Ky). Crustal melting of the lower crust at 105 ka affected the volcano evolution, impeding frequent maficmagma eruptions, and promoting magma stagnation and fractional crystallization processes. ?? 2011 Springer-Verlag.

The physics of large eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudmundsson, Agust

2015-04-01

Based on eruptive volumes, eruptions can be classified as follows: small if the volumes are from less than 0.001 km3 to 0.1 km3, moderate if the volumes are from 0.1 to 10 km3, and large if the volumes are from 10 km3 to 1000 km3 or larger. The largest known explosive and effusive eruptions have eruptive volumes of 4000-5000 km3. The physics of small to moderate eruptions is reasonably well understood. For a typical mafic magma chamber in a crust that behaves as elastic, about 0.1% of the magma leaves the chamber (erupted and injected as a dyke) during rupture and eruption. Similarly, for a typical felsic magma chamber, the eruptive/injected volume during rupture and eruption is about 4%. To provide small to moderate eruptions, chamber volumes of the order of several tens to several hundred cubic kilometres would be needed. Shallow crustal chambers of these sizes are common, and deep-crustal and upper-mantle reservoirs of thousands of cubic kilometres exist. Thus, elastic and poro-elastic chambers of typical volumes can account for small to moderate eruptive volumes. When the eruptions become large, with volumes of tens or hundreds of cubic kilometres or more, an ordinary poro-elastic mechanism can no longer explain the eruptive volumes. The required sizes of the magma chambers and reservoirs to explain such volumes are simply too large to be plausible. Here I propose that the mechanics of large eruptions is fundamentally different from that of small to moderate eruptions. More specifically, I suggest that all large eruptions derive their magmas from chambers and reservoirs whose total cavity-volumes are mechanically reduced very much during the eruption. There are two mechanisms by which chamber/reservoir cavity-volumes can be reduced rapidly so as to squeeze out much of, or all, their magmas. One is piston-like caldera collapse. The other is graben subsidence. During large slip on the ring-faults/graben-faults the associated chamber/reservoir shrinks in volume, thereby maintaining the excess magmatic pressure much longer than is possible in the ordinary poro-elastic mechanism. Here the physics of caldera subsidence and graben subsidence is regarded as basically the same. The geometric difference in the surface expression is simply a reflection of the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the underlying magma body. In this new mechanism, the large eruption is the consequence -- not the cause -- of the caldera/graben subsidence. Thus, once the conditions for large-scale subsidence of a caldera/graben during an unrest period are established, then the likelihood of large to very large eruptions can be assessed and used in reliable forecasting. Gudmundsson, A., 2012. Strengths and strain energies of volcanic edifices: implications for eruptions, collapse calderas and landslides. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 2241-2258. Gudmundsson, A., 2014. Energy release in great earthquakes and eruptions. Front. Earth Science 2:10. doi: 10.3389/feart.2014.00010 Gudmundsson, A., Acocella, V., 2015.Volcanotectonics: Understanding the Structure, Deformation, and Dynamics of Volcanoes. Cambridge University Press (published 2015).

Seismic structure of the lithosphere and upper mantle beneath the ocean islands near mid-oceanic ridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haldar, C.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, M. Ravi

2014-05-01

Deciphering the seismic character of the young lithosphere near mid-oceanic ridges (MORs) is a challenging endeavor. In this study, we determine the seismic structure of the oceanic plate near the MORs using the P-to-S conversions isolated from quality data recorded at five broadband seismological stations situated on ocean islands in their vicinity. Estimates of the crustal and lithospheric thickness values from waveform inversion of the P-receiver function stacks at individual stations reveal that the Moho depth varies between ~ 10 ± 1 km and ~ 20 ± 1 km with the depths of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) varying between ~ 40 ± 4 and ~ 65 ± 7 km. We found evidence for an additional low-velocity layer below the expected LAB depths at stations on Ascension, São Jorge and Easter islands. The layer probably relates to the presence of a hot spot corresponding to a magma chamber. Further, thinning of the upper mantle transition zone suggests a hotter mantle transition zone due to the possible presence of plumes in the mantle beneath the stations.

The forgotten component of sub-glacial heat flow: Upper crustal heat production and resultant total heat flux on the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton-Johnson, Alex; Halpin, Jacqueline; Whittaker, Joanne; Watson, Sally

2017-04-01

Seismic and magnetic geophysical methods have both been employed to produce estimates of heat flux beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. However, both methods use a homogeneous upper crustal model despite the variable concentration of heat producing elements within its composite lithologies. Using geological and geochemical datasets from the Antarctic Peninsula we have developed a new methodology for incorporating upper crustal heat production in heat flux models and have shown the greater variability this introduces in to estimates of crustal heat flux, with implications for glaciological modelling.

Nature of the magma storage system beneath the Damavand volcano (N. Iran): An integrated study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eskandari, Amir; Amini, Sadraddin; De Rosa, Rosanna; Donato, Paola

2018-02-01

Damavand intraplate stratovolcano constructed upon a moderately thick crust (58-67 km) over the last 2 Ma. The erupted products are dominantly trachyandesite-trachyte (TT) lavas and pyroclasts, with minor mafic magmas including tephrite-basanite-trachybasalt and alkali olivine basalts emplaced as cinder cones at the base of the stratovolcano. The TT products are characterized by a mineral assemblage of clinopyroxene (diopside-augite), orthopyroxene (clinoenstatite), feldspar (An2-58, Ab6-69, Or2-56), high Ti phlogopite, F-apatite, Fesbnd Ti oxides, and minor amounts of olivine (Fo73-80), amphibole and zircon, whereas olivine (Fo78-88), high Mg# (80-89) diopside, feldspar, apatite and Fesbnd Ti oxide occur in the mafic magmas. The presence of hydrous and anhydrous minerals, normal zonings, mafic cumulates, and the composition of magmatic inclusions in the TT products suggest evolutionary processes in polybaric conditions. In the same way, disequilibrium textures - including orthopyroxene mantled with clinopyroxene, reaction rim of phlogopite and amphibole, the coexistence of olivine and orthopyroxene, reverse, oscillatory and complex zonings of pyroxene and feldspar crystals - suggest magmatic evolutions in open systems with a varying temperature, oxygen fugacity, water as well as pressure and, to a lesser extent, melt chemistry. Mineral assemblages are used to model the physicochemical conditions and assess default parameters for the thermodynamic simulation of crystallization using MELTS software to track the P-T-H2O-ƒO2 evolution of the magma plumbing system. Thermobarometry and MELTS models estimated the initial nucleation depth at 16-17 kb (56-60 km) for olivine (Fo89) and high Al diopside crystals occurring in the mafic primary magma; it then stopped and underwent fractionation between 8 and 10 kb (28-35 km), corresponding with Moho depth, and continued to differentiate in the lower crust, in agreement with the geophysical models. The mafic rocks were formed by crystal fractionation from the reconstructed primary magma (13 wt% MgO) with the minor role of recharge and crustal assimilation. Phenocrysts in TT lavas recorded a wide range of temperature and pressure of crystallization; at least three main levels of magma storage can be recognized according to the statistical analysis of the models, at 6-8 kb (22-28 km), 4-6 kb (15-22 km), and 0.6-3 kb (2-11 km), respectively. The temperature of crystallization ranged from 1430 to 1180 °C for primary mafic magma to alkali olivine basalts and 1180-800 °C for TT suite. According to the current geophysical models, the present structure of the magma storage system in the crust beneath the Damavand volcano consists of three major accumulation zones located at 20 km, 6-8 km and 3-4.5 km depth. Our data enlarge this scenario, suggesting a more complex magma storage system strongly controlled by the transpressional tectonic regime. Multi-depth magma reservoirs may account for the local thickening of crust below the volcano. The polybaric fractionation model, using the MELTS algorithm, reproduces mineralogy and chemical variations of minerals and whole rock of the Damavand TT lavas. However, some discrepancies between major elements of models and trends of data can be ascribed to the recharge of more mafic magma, minor crustal assimilation, disaggregation of crystal-rich mushes and uptake of magmatic inclusions, as well as crystals from different crustal levels. The polybaric differentiation as the fractionation and/or accumulation of crystals was the probable mechanism for explaining the scarcity of mafic volcanic rocks at the Damavand volcano.

Distinct Chlorine Isotopic Reservoirs on Mars: Implications for Character, Extent and Relative Timing of Crustal Interaction with Mantle-Derived Magmas, Evolution of the Martian Atmosphere, and the Building Blocks of an Early Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shearer, C. K.; Messenger, S.; Sharp, Z. D.; Burger, P. V.; Nguyen, N.; McCubbin, F. M.

2017-01-01

The style, magnitude, timing, and mixing components involved in the interaction between mantle derived Martian magmas and Martian crust have long been a point of debate. Understanding this process is fundamental to deciphering the composition of the Martian crust and its interaction with the atmosphere, the compositional diversity and oxygen fugacity variations in the Martian mantle, the bulk composition of Mars and the materials from which it accreted, and the noble gas composition of Mars and the Sun. Recent studies of the chlorine isotopic composition of Martian meteorites imply that although the variation in delta (sup 37) Cl is limited (total range of approximately14 per mille), there appears to be distinct signatures for the Martian crust and mantle. However, there are potential issues with this interpretation. New Cl isotope data from the SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) instrument on the Mars Science Lab indicate a very wide range of Cl isotopic compositions on the Martian surface. Recent measurements by [10] duplicated the results of [7,8], but placed them within the context of SAM surface data. In addition, Martian meteorite Chassigny contains trapped noble gases with isotopic ratios similar to solar abundance, and has long been considered a pristine, mantle derived sample. However, previous studies of apatite in Chassigny indicate that crustal fluids have interacted with regions interstitial to the cumulus olivine. The initial Cl isotope measurements of apatite in Chassigny suggest an addition of crustal component to this lithology, apparently contradicting the rare gas data. Here, we examine the Cl isotopic composition of multiple generations and textures of apatite in Chassigny to extricate the crustal and mantle components in this meteorite and to reveal the style and timing of the addition of crustal components to mantle-derived magmas. These data reveal distinct Martian Cl sources whose signatures have their origins linked to both the early Solar System and the evolving Martian atmosphere.

Temporal evolution of granitic magmas in the Luanchuan metallogenic belt, east Qinling Orogen, central China: Implications for Mo metallogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dong; Han, Jiangwei; Zhang, Shouting; Yan, Changhai; Cao, Huawen; Song, Yaowu

2015-11-01

The Luanchuan metallogenic belt, located within the eastern part of the Qinling Orogen, central China, hosts a number of world-class Mo deposits that are closely related to small late Mesozoic granitic plutons. Zircon U-Pb dating of distinct plutons in the Luanchuan metallogenic belt has yielded ages of 153 ± 1, 154 ± 2, 152 ± 2, and 148 ± 1 Ma. Molybdenite Re-Os isotopic compositions of Yuku ore district in the southern part of Luanchuan metallogenic belt has yielded an isochron age of 146 ± 1 Ma, which is consistent with the large-scale mineralization ages in the northern part of the Luanchuan metallogenic belt. A combination of previous studies and new geochronological and isotopic data show a concordant temporal and genetic link between granitic magmatism and Mo mineralization in the Luanchuan metallogenic belt, suggesting that this mineralization episode formed the most extensive Mo mineralization belt in the east Qinling Orogen. Zircon grains from Mo-related granitic plutons show similar trace element distributions. High-precision Multi Collector-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) Pb isotope analysis of K-feldspar megacrysts from mineralization-related granites suggest that they were derived from the lower crust. Similarly, the Pb isotopic compositions of pyrite coprecipitated with molybdenite also suggest that the metals were derived form the lower crust, with probably minor mantle contribution. A continuum mineralization model that describes the sourcing of Mo from an evolving granitic magma over successive differentiation events, possibly in separate but connected magma chambers, could explain the remarkable Mo enrichment in the Luanchuan metallogenic belt. The volatile- and Mo-bearing granitic magmas ascended as diapirs from the deep crust, and were emplaced as dikes in the upper crust. Lithological differences between these Mo-bearing granites may relate to different stages in the evolution of individual magmas. Finally, ore-forming fluids were exsolved from the granitic melts in shallow-crustal magma chambers, resulting in the formation of the Mo deposits of the Luanchuan metallogenic belt. This model may account for the widespread late Mesozoic Mo deposits of eastern China.

Linking rapid magma reservoir assembly and eruption trigger mechanisms at evolved Yellowstone-type supervolcanoes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wotzlaw, J.F.; Bindeman, I.N.; Watts, Kathryn E.; Schmitt, A.K.; Caricchi, L.; Schaltegger, U.

2014-01-01

The geological record contains evidence of volcanic eruptions that were as much as two orders of magnitude larger than the most voluminous eruption experienced by modern civilizations, the A.D. 1815 Tambora (Indonesia) eruption. Perhaps nowhere on Earth are deposits of such supereruptions more prominent than in the Snake River Plain–Yellowstone Plateau (SRP-YP) volcanic province (northwest United States). While magmatic activity at Yellowstone is still ongoing, the Heise volcanic field in eastern Idaho represents the youngest complete caldera cycle in the SRP-YP, and thus is particularly instructive for current and future volcanic activity at Yellowstone. The Heise caldera cycle culminated 4.5 Ma ago in the eruption of the ∼1800 km3 Kilgore Tuff. Accessory zircons in the Kilgore Tuff display significant intercrystalline and intracrystalline oxygen isotopic heterogeneity, and the vast majority are 18O depleted. This suggests that zircons crystallized from isotopically distinct magma batches that were generated by remelting of subcaldera silicic rocks previously altered by low-δ18O meteoric-hydrothermal fluids. Prior to eruption these magma batches were assembled and homogenized into a single voluminous reservoir. U-Pb geochronology of isotopically diverse zircons using chemical abrasion–isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry yielded indistinguishable crystallization ages with a weighted mean 206Pb/238U date of 4.4876 ± 0.0023 Ma (MSWD = 1.5; n = 24). These zircon crystallization ages are also indistinguishable from the sanidine 40Ar/39Ar dates, and thus zircons crystallized close to eruption. This requires that shallow crustal melting, assembly of isolated batches into a supervolcanic magma reservoir, homogenization, and eruption occurred extremely rapidly, within the resolution of our geochronology (103–104 yr). The crystal-scale image of the reservoir configuration, with several isolated magma batches, is very similar to the reservoir configurations inferred from seismic data at active supervolcanoes. The connection of magma batches vertically distributed over several kilometers in the upper crust would cause a substantial increase of buoyancy overpressure, providing an eruption trigger mechanism that is the direct consequence of the reservoir assembly process.

Geochemical Evidence for Mantle Enrichment and Lower Crustal Assimilation in Orogenic Volcanics from Monte Arcuentu, Southern Sardinia: Implications for Geodynamics and Evolution of the Western Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vero, S.; Kempton, P. D.; Downes, H.

2016-12-01

Miocene (ca. 18Ma) subduction-related basalts and basaltic andesites from Monte Arcuentu (MA), southern Sardinia, show a remarkable correlation between SiO2 and 87Sr/86Sr (up to 0.711) that contrasts with most other orogenic volcanics worldwide. MgO ranges from 13.4 - 2.4 wt%, yet the rocks form a baseline trend at low SiO2 (51-56 wt%) from which other arcs diverge toward high SiO2. In contrast, MA exhibits a steep trend that extends toward the field of lithosphere-derived, lamproites from central Italy. New high-precision Pb and Hf isotope data help to constrain the petrogenesis of these rocks. The most primitive MA rocks (MgO > 8.5wt%) were derived from a mantle wedge metasomatized by melts derived from terrigenous sediment, likely derived from Archean terranes of N Africa. This metasomatized source had high 87Sr/86Sr (O.705-0.709) and 7/4Pb (15.65 - 15.67) with low ɛHf (-1 to +8) and ɛNd (+1 to -6), but does not account for the full range of isotopic compositions observed. More evolved rocks (MgO < 8.5 wt%) have higher 87Sr/86Sr (0.711) and 7/4Pb (15.68), lower ɛHf (-8) and ɛNd (-9). However, one group of evolved rocks with low Rb/Ba trends toward low 6/4Pb whereas another group with high Rb/Ba extends to high 6/4Pb. Mixing calculations suggest that evolved rocks with low Rb/Ba - low 6/4Pb interacted with Hercynian-type lower crust. High Rb/Ba - high 6/4Pb rocks may have interacted with lithospheric mantle similar to that sampled by Italian lamproites, but upper crustal contamination cannot be ruled out. Partial melting of these normally refractory lithologies was facilitated by the rapid extension, and subsequent mantle upwelling, that occurred as Sardinia rifted and rotated away from the European plate during the Miocene (32-15 Ma). High rates of melt accumulation and high melt fractions ponded near the MOHO, creating a "hot zone", enabling mafic crustal melting. Fractional crystallization under these PT conditions involved olivine + cpx with little or no plag, such that differentiation proceeded without significant increase in SiO2. High rates of extension may also have facilitated rapid ascent of magmas to the surface with minimal interaction with mid- to upper crust. The MA rocks provide insights into lower crustal assimilation process that may be obscured by upper crustal AFC processes in other suites.

Origin of dipping structures in fast-spreading oceanic lower crust offshore Alaska imaged by multichannel seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bécel, Anne; Shillington, Donna J.; Nedimović, Mladen R.; Webb, Spahr C.; Kuehn, Harold

2015-08-01

Multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection profiles across the Pacific Plate south of the Alaska Peninsula reveal the internal structure of mature oceanic crust (48-56 Ma) formed at fast to intermediate spreading rates during and after a major plate re-organization. Oceanic crust formed at fast spreading rates (half spreading rate ∼ 74 mm /yr) has smoother basement topography, thinner sediment cover with less faulting, and an igneous section that is at least 1 km thicker than crust formed at intermediate spreading rates (half spreading rate ∼ 28- 34 mm /yr). MCS data across fast-spreading oceanic crust formed during plate re-organization contain abundant bright reflections, mostly confined to the lower crust above a highly reflective Moho transition zone, which has a reflection coefficient (RC) of ∼0.1. The lower crustal events dip predominantly toward the paleo-ridge axis at ∼10-30°. Reflections are also imaged in the uppermost mantle, which primarily dip away from the ridge at ∼10-25°, the opposite direction to those observed in the lower crust. Dipping events in both the lower crust and upper mantle are absent on profiles acquired across the oceanic crust formed at intermediate spreading rates emplaced after plate re-organization, where a Moho reflection is weak or absent. Our preferred interpretation is that the imaged lower crustal dipping reflections within the fast spread crust arise from shear zones that form near the spreading center in the region characterized by interstitial melt. The abundance and reflection amplitude strength of these events (RC ∼ 0.15) can be explained by a combination of solidified melt that was segregated within the shear structures, mylonitization of the shear zones, and crystal alignment, all of which can result in anisotropy and constructive signal interference. Formation of shear zones with this geometry requires differential motion between the crust and upper mantle, where the upper mantle moves away from the ridge faster than the crust. Active asthenospheric upwelling is one possible explanation for these conditions. The other possible interpretation is that lower crustal reflections are caused by magmatic (mafic/ultramafic) layering associated with accretion from a central mid-crustal magma chamber. Considering that the lower crustal dipping events have only been imaged in regions that have experienced plate re-organizations associated with ridge jumps or rift propagation, we speculate that locally enhanced mantle flow associated with these settings may lead to differential motion between the crust and the uppermost mantle, and therefore to shearing in the ductile lower crust or, alternatively, that plate reorganization could produce magmatic pulses which may lead to mafic/ultramafic banding.

Geochemical Relationships between Volcanic and Plutonic Upper to Mid Crustal Exposures of the Rosario Segment, Alisitos Arc (Baja California, Mexico): An Outstanding Field Analog to the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, R.; DeBari, S. M.; Busby, C. J.; Medynski, S.

2015-12-01

Exposed paleo-arcs, such as the Rosario segment of the Cretaceous Alisitos Arc in Baja California, Mexico, provide an opportunity to explore the evolution of arc crust through time. Remarkable 3-D exposures of the Rosario segment record crustal generation processes in the volcanic rocks and underlying plutonic rocks. In this study, we explore the physical and geochemical connection between the plutonic and volcanic sections of the extensional Alisitos Arc, and elucidate differentiation processes responsible for generating them. These results provide an outstanding analog for extensional active arc systems, such as the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) Arc. Upper crustal volcanic rocks have a coherent stratigraphy that is 3-5 km thick and ranges in composition from basalt to dacite. The most felsic compositions (70.9% SiO2) are from a welded ignimbrite unit. The most mafic compositions (51.5% SiO2, 3.2% MgO) are found in basaltic sill-like units. Phenocrysts in the volcanic units include plagioclase +/- amphibole and clinopyroxene. The transition to deeper plutonic rocks is clearly an intrusive boundary, where plutonic units intrude the volcanic units. Plutonic rocks are dominantly a quartz diorite main phase with a more mafic, gabbroic margin. A transitional zone is observed along the contact between the plutonic and volcanic rocks, where volcanics have coarsely recrystallized textures. Mineral assemblages in the plutonic units include plagioclase +/- quartz, biotite, amphibole, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene. Most, but not all, samples are low K. REE patterns are relatively flat with limited enrichment. Normalization diagrams show LILE enrichment and HFSE depletion, where trends are similar to average IBM values. We interpret plutonic and volcanic units to have similar geochemical relationships, where liquid lines of descent show the evolution of least to most evolved magma types. We provide a model for the formation and magmatic evolution of the Alisitos Arc.

The grand tour of the Ruby-East Humboldt metamorphic core complex, northeastern Nevada: Part 1 - Introduction & road log

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snoke, A.W.; Howard, K.A.; McGrew, A.J.; Burton, B.R.; Barnes, C.G.; Peters, M.T.; Wright, J.E.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this geological excursion is to provide an overview of the multiphase developmental history of the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range, northeastern Nevada. Although these mountain ranges are commonly cited as a classic example of a Cordilleran metamorphic core complex developed through large-magnitude, mid-Tertiary crustal extension, a preceding polyphase Mesozoic contractional history is also well preserved in the ranges. An early phase of this history involved Late Jurassic two-mica granitic magmatism, high-temperature but relatively low-pressure metamorphism, and polyphase deformation in the central Ruby Mountains. In the northern Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range, a Late Cretaceous history of crustal shortening, metamorphism, and magmatism is manifested by fold-nappes (involving Archean basement rocks in the northern East Humboldt Range), widespread migmatization, injection of monzogranitic and leucogranitic magmas, all coupled with sillimanite-grade metamorphism. Following Late Cretaceous contraction, a protracted extensional deformation partially overprinted these areas during the Cenozoic. This extensional history may have begun as early as the Late Cretaceous or as late as the mid-Eocene. Late Eocene and Oligocene magmatism occurred at various levels in the crust yielding mafic to felsic orthogneisses in the deep crust, a composite granitic pluton in the upper crust, and volcanic rocks at the surface. Movement along a west-rooted, extensional shear zone in the Oligocene and early Miocene led to core-complex exhumation. The shear zone produced mylonitic rocks about 1 km thick at deep crustal levels, and an overprint of brittle detachment faulting at shallower levels as unroofing proceeded. Megabreccias and other synextensional sedimentary deposits are locally preserved in a tilted, upper Eocene through Miocene stratigraphic sequence. Neogene magmatism included the emplacement of basalt dikes and eruption of rhyolitic rocks. Subsequent Basin and Range normal faulting, as young as Holocene, records continued tectonic extension.

Seismic imaging of deep crustal melt sills beneath Costa Rica suggests a method for the formation of the Archean continental crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmon, Nicholas; Rychert, Catherine A.

2015-11-01

Continental crust formed billions of years ago but cannot be explained by a simple evolution of primary mantle magmas. A multi-step process is required that likely includes re-melting of wet metamorphosed basalt at high pressures. Such a process could occur at depth in oceanic crust that has been thickened by a large magmatic event. In Central America, variations in geologically inferred, pre-existing oceanic crustal thickness beneath the arc provides an excellent opportunity to study its effect on magma storage, re-melting of meta-basalts, and the potential for creating continental crust. We use surface waves derived from ambient noise tomography to image 6% radially anisotropic structures in the thickened oceanic plateau crust of Costa Rica that likely represent deep crustal melt sills. In Nicaragua, where the arc is forming on thinner oceanic crust, we do not image these deep crustal melt sills. The presence of these deep sills correlates with more felsic arc outputs from the Costa Rican Arc suggesting pre-existing thickened crust accelerates processing of primary basalts to continental compositions. In the Archean, reprocessing thickened oceanic crust by subsequent hydrated hotspot volcanism or subduction zone volcanism may have similarly enhanced formation of early continental crust. This mechanism may have been particularly important if subduction did not initiate until 3 Ga.

Oxygen isotope evolution of the Lake Owyhee volcanic field, Oregon, and implications for low-δ18O magmas of the Snake River Plain - Yellowstone hotspot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blum, T.; Kitajima, K.; Nakashima, D.; Valley, J. W.

2013-12-01

The Snake River Plain - Yellowstone (SRP-Y) hotspot trend is one of the largest known low-δ18O magmatic provinces, yet the timing and distribution of hydrothermal alteration relative to hotspot magmatism remains incompletely understood. Existing models for SRP-Y low-δ18O magma genesis differ regarding the timing of protolith alteration (e.g. Eocene vs. present), depth at which alteration occurs (e.g. 15 km vs. <5 km), and physical controls on the extent of alteration (e.g. caldera collapse, crustal scale fluid flow, etc.). We expand the existing oxygen isotope data set for zircon in the Lake Owyhee volcanic field (LOVF) of east central Oregon to further identify magmatic oxygen isotope trends within the field. These data offer insight into the timing of alteration and the extent of the greater SRP-Y low-δ18O province, as well as the conditions that generate large low-δ18O provinces. 16-14 Ma silicic volcanism in the LOVF is linked to the pre-14 Ma SRP-Y hotspot, with volcanism partially overlapping extension in the north-south trending Oregon-Idaho Graben (OIG). Ion microprobe analyses of zircons from 16 LOVF silicic lavas and tuffs reveal homogeneous zircons on both the single grain and hand sample scales: individual samples have 2 S.D. for δ18O ranging from 0.27 to 0.96‰ (SMOW), and sample averages ranging from 1.8 to 6.0‰, excluding texturally chaotic and/or porous zircons which have δ18O values as low as 0.0‰. All low-δ18O LOVF magmas, including the caldera-forming Tuff of Leslie Gulch and Tuff of Spring Creek, are confined to the OIG, although not all zircons from within the OIG have low δ18O values. The presence and sequence of low-δ18O magmas in the LOVF and adjacent central Snake River Plain (CSRP) cannot be explained by existing caldera subsidence or pre-hotspot source models. These data, however, combined with volumetrically limited low-δ18O material in the adjacent Idaho Batholith and Basin and Range, are consistent with low-δ18O magmas generated by the superposition of high hotspot-derived thermal fluxes on active extensional structures (OIG extension in the LOVF, and Basin and Range rifting in the CSRP) thereby increasing meteoric water transport to depth and generating conditions for regional scale hydrothermal alteration of the crust. The intricacies of deformation rate and style, and the resulting crustal permeability-depth relations along the hotspot track, offer a qualitative explanation for low-δ18O magmas being pervasive in the CSRP, but restricted to post-caldera and late stage ignimbrites in the eastern SRP centers. This model has significant implications for the evolution of SRP-Y systems, as the thermal inputs required to drive both hydrothermal alteration and crustal melting complicate production of long-lived shallow crustal magma chambers. In addition, this model adds to a growing data set (e.g. Tangbai-Dabie-Sulu province, British Tertiary Igneous Province, etc.) demonstrating low-δ18O magmas can be generated in conjunction with regional scale hydrothermal alteration of the crust, and that this process has occurred throughout the geologic past where extensional tectonics and high thermal fluxes are superimposed.

What do we really know about Earth's early crust?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudnick, R. L.; Tang, M.

2016-12-01

The oldest minerals on Earth, the detrital Hadean Jack Hills zircons from western Australia, show evidence for their crystallization from hydrous, low temperature, granitic magmas. However, considerable debate centers on whether the parental melts are minimum-melt granites formed in subduction zone settings and implying widespread, evolved continental crust (e.g., Harrison, 2009, AREPS), or crystallized from the last differentiates of mafic magmas (Darling et al., 2009, Geology), or even late differentiates of impact melt sheets on a largely water-covered Earth (Kenny et al., 2016, Geology). Another means by which to interrogate the nature of Earth's early crust is through analyses of ancient fine-grained terrigenous sedimentary rocks such as shales or glacial diamictites, which provide averages of the surface of the Earth that is exposed to chemical weathering and erosion. From these studies it has long been known that Archean crust contained a higher proportion of mafic rocks. However, only recently has that proportion been constrained based on a change in the average MgO content of the upper continental crust from 15 wt.% at 3.2 Ga, to 4 wt.% at 2.6 Ga (Tang et al., 2016, Science). These data for terrigeneous sediments require the pre 3.2 Ga crust to be dominated by mafic rocks (only 10-40% `granite' s.l.) and to be high-standing and susceptible to subareal weathering and erosion, implying the mafic crust was thick (see Tang and Rudnick, this meeting). The dramatic transition that occurred in upper crustal composition between 3.2 and 2.6 Ga likely marks the onset of widespread subduction as a means of generating voluminous granite.

Crustal shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy beneath the Rio Grande rift from ambient noise tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Yuanyuan V.; Li, Aibing

2015-02-01

Shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy beneath New Mexico are obtained from ambient seismic noise tomography using data from the Transportable Array. Besides the distinct seismic structure imaged across the Rio Grande rift from the Colorado Plateau to the Great Plains, both velocity and anisotropy models also reveal significant variations along the rift. The rift at Albuquerque is characterized by remarkably low velocity in the shallow crust, high velocity and strong positive anisotropy in the middle and lower crust, and low velocity in the upper mantle. These observations can be interpreted as magma accumulation in the shallow crust and significant mafic underplating in the lower crust with abundant melt supply from the hot mantle. We propose that the Albuquerque region has recently been experiencing the most vigorous extensional deformation in the rift. Positive anisotropy with Vsh > Vsv appears in the central and southern rifts with a stronger anisotropy beneath younger volcanoes, reflecting layering of magma intrusion due to past and recent rifting activities. The low velocities in the uppermost mantle are observed under high-elevation places, the Jemez Lineament, northern rift, and east rift boundary, implying that the buoyancy of hot mantle largely compensates the local high topography. Low mantle velocities appear at the boundary of the southern rift, corresponding to the large lithosphere thickness change, instead of the rift center, consistent with the prediction from the small-scale, edge-driven mantle convection model. We conclude that the edge-driven upper mantle convection is probably the dominant mechanism for the recent and current rifting and uplift in the Rio Grande rift.

Clinopyroxene precursors to amphibole sponge in arc crust

PubMed Central

Smith, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

The formation of amphibole cumulates beneath arc volcanoes is a key control on magma geochemistry, and generates a hydrous lower crust. Despite being widely inferred from trace element geochemistry as a major lower crustal phase, amphibole is neither abundant nor common as a phenocryst phase in arc lavas and erupted pyroclasts, prompting some authors to refer to it as a ‘cryptic’ fractionating phase. This study provides evidence that amphibole develops by evolved melts overprinting earlier clinopyroxene—a near-ubiquitous mineral in arc magmas. Reaction-replacement of clinopyroxene ultimately forms granoblastic amphibole lithologies. Reaction-replacement amphiboles have more primitive trace element chemistry (for example, lower concentrations of incompatible Pb) than amphibole phenocrysts, but still have chemistries suitable for producing La/Yb and Dy/Yb ‘amphibole sponge’ signatures. Amphibole can fractionate cryptically as reactions between melt and mush in lower crustal ‘hot zones’ produce amphibole-rich assemblages, without significant nucleation and growth of amphibole phenocrysts. PMID:25002269

Numerical Simulation of Magma Effects on Hydrothermal Venting at Ultra-Slow Spreading Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Hong; Niu, Xiongwei; Ruan, Aiguo; Li, Jiabiao; Meng, Lin

2017-04-01

Finite element method is used to numerically simulate oceanic crust thermal dynamics in order to understand the hydrothermal venting mechanism at ultra-slow spreading ridge, whether is the ancient magma chamber still living and supplying hot magma for vents or have surrounding hotspots been affecting on the ridge continually with melting and hot magma. Two models are simulated, one is a horizontal layered oceanic crust model and the other is a model derived from wide angle seismic experiment of OBS at the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (50°E, Zhao et al., 2013; Li et al., 2015; Niu et al., 2015). For the former two cases are simulated: without magma from upper mantel or with continuous magma supply, and for the latter supposing magma supply occurs only once in short period. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Without melt magma supply at the oceanic crust bottom, a magma chamber can live only thousands ten thousand years. According to the simulated results in this case, the magma chamber revealed by seismic data at the mid-east shallow section of the Southwest Indian Ridge could only last 0.8Ma, the present hydrothermal venting is impossible to be the caused by the magma activity occurred during 8-11Ma (Sauter et al., 2009). (2) The magma chamber can live long time with continuous hot magma supply beneath the oceanic crust due to the melting effects of surrounding ridge hotspots, and would result hydrothermal venting with some tectonic structures condition such as detachment faults. We suggest that the present hydrothermal activities at the mid-east shallow section of the Southwest Indian Ridge are the results of melting effects or magma supply from surrounding hotspots. This research was granted by the National Basic Research program of China (grant 2012CB417301) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 41176046, 91228205). References Zhao, M., Qiu, X., Li, J., et al., 2013. Three-dimensional seismic structure of the Dragon Flag oceanic core complex at the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (49° 39' E). Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 14(10), 4544-4563. Li, J., Jian, H., Chen, Y. J., et al., 2015. Seismic observation of an extremely magmatic accretion at the ultraslow spreading southwest indian ridge. Geophysical Research Letters, 42(8), 2656-2663. Niu, X., Ruan, A., Li, J., et al., 2015. Along-axis variation in crustal thickness at the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (50° E) from a wide-angle seismic experiment. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 16(2), 468-485. Sauter, D., Cannat, M., Meyzen, C., et al., 2009. Propagation of a melting anomaly along the ultraslow southwest indian ridge between 46°e and 52°20'e: interaction with the, crozet hotspot?. Geophysical Journal International, 179(2), 687-699.

Etnean and Hyblean volcanism shifted away from the Malta Escarpment by crustal stresses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neri, Marco; Rivalta, Eleonora; Maccaferri, Francesco; Acocella, Valerio; Cirrincione, Rosolino

2018-03-01

A fraction of the volcanic activity occurs intraplate, challenging our models of melting and magma transfer to the Earth's surface. A prominent example is Mt. Etna, eastern Sicily, offset from the asthenospheric tear below the Malta Escarpment proposed as its melt source. The nearby Hyblean volcanism, to the south, and the overall northward migration of the eastern Sicilian volcanism are also unexplained. Here we simulate crustal magma pathways beneath eastern Sicily, accounting for regional stresses and decompression due to the increase in the depth of the Malta Escarpment. We find non-vertical magma pathways, with the competition of tectonic and loading stresses controlling the trajectories' curvature and its change in time, causing the observed migration of volcanism. This suggests that the Hyblean and Etnean volcanism have been fed laterally from a melt pooling region below the Malta Escarpment. The case of eastern Sicily shows how the reconstruction of the evolution of magmatic provinces may require not only an assessment of the paleostresses, but also of the contribution of surface loads and their variations; at times, the latter may even prevail. Accounting for these competing stresses may help shed light on the distribution and wandering of intraplate volcanism

Lunar floor-fractured craters: Modes of dike and sill emplacement and implications of gas production and intrusion cooling on surface morphology and structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Lionel; Head, James W.

2018-05-01

Lunar floor-fractured craters (FFCs) represent the surface manifestation of a class of shallow crustal intrusions in which magma-filled cracks (dikes) rising to the surface from great depth encounter contrasts in host rock lithology (breccia lens, rigid solidified melt sheet) and intrude laterally to form a sill, laccolith or bysmalith, thereby uplifting and deforming the crater floor. Recent developments in the knowledge of lunar crustal thickness and density structure have enabled important revisions to models of the generation, ascent and eruption of magma, and new knowledge about the presence and behavior of magmatic volatiles has provided additional perspectives on shallow intrusion processes in FFCs. We use these new data to assess the processes that occur during dike and sill emplacement with particular emphasis on tracking the fate and migration of volatiles and their relation to candidate venting processes. FFCs result when dikes are capable of intruding close to the surface, but fail to erupt because of the substructure of their host impact craters, and instead intrude laterally after encountering a boundary where an increase in ductility (base of breccia lens) or rigidity (base of solidified melt sheet) occurs. Magma in dikes approaching the lunar surface experiences increasingly lower overburden pressures: this enhances CO gas formation and brings the magma into the realm of the low pressure release of H2O and sulfur compounds, both factors adding volatiles to those already collected in the rising low-pressure part of the dike tip. High magma rise velocity is driven by the positive buoyancy of the magma in the part of the dike remaining in the mantle. The dike tip overshoots the interface and the consequent excess pressure at the interface drives the horizontal flow of magma to form the intrusion and raise the crater floor. If sill intrusion were controlled by the physical properties at the base of the melt sheet, dikes would be required to approach to within ∼300 m of the surface, and thus eruptions, rather than intrusions, would be very likely to occur; instead, dynamical considerations strongly favor the sub-crustal breccia lens as the location of the physical property contrast localizing lateral intrusion, at a depth of several kilometers. The end of lateral and vertical sill growth occurs when the internal magma pressure equals the external pressure (the intrusion just supports the weight of the overlying crust). Dynamical considerations lead to the conclusion that dike magma volumes are up to ∼1100 km3, and are generally insufficient to form FFCs on the lunar farside; the estimated magma volumes available for injection into sills on the lunar nearside (up to ∼800 km3) are comparable to the observed floor uplift in many smaller FFCs, and thus consistent with these FFCs forming from a single dike emplacement event. In contrast, the thickest intrusions in the largest craters imply volumes requiring multiple dike contributions; these are likely to be events well-separated in time, rather than injection of new magma into a recently-formed and still-cooling intrusion. We present a temporal sequence of 1) dike emplacement, 2) sill formation and surface deformation, 3) bubble rise, foam layer formation and collapse, 4) intrusion cooling, and a synthesis of predicted deformation sequence and eruption styles. Initial lateral injection of the sill at a depth well below the upper dike tip initiates upbowing of the overburden, leveraging deformation of the crater floor melt sheet above. This is followed by lateral spreading of the sill toward the edges of the crater floor, where crater wall and rim deposit overburden inhibit further lateral growth, and the sill grows vertically into a laccolith or bysmalith, uplifting the entire floor above the intrusion. Subsidiary dikes can be emplaced in the fractures at the uplift margins and will rise to the isostatic level of the initial dike tip; if these contain sufficient volatiles to decrease magma density, eruptions can also occur. This initial phase of intrusion, sill lateral spreading and floor uplift occurs within a few hours after initial dike emplacement. During the subsequent cooling of the sill, bubbles can rise hundreds of meters to the top of the intrusion to create a foam layer; when drainage of gas bubble wall magma occurs in the foam layer, a continuous gas layer forms above the foam. Gas formation and upward migration produces an increase in sill thickness, while subsequent cooling and solidification cause a thickness decreases and subsidence. The total topographic evolution history, following an initial 2 km thick sill intrusion and floor uplift (hours), includes further floor uplift by gas formation and migration (decades; ∼30 m), followed by cooling, solidification and subsidence (∼a century; ∼350 m). An initial 2 km thick sill is predicted to have a final thickness of ∼1.7 km. This predicted sequence of events can be compared with the sequence of floor deformation and volcanism in FFCs in order to test and refine this model.

Oblique reactivation of lithosphere-scale lineaments controls rift physiography - the upper-crustal expression of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, offshore southern Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Thomas B.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Bell, Rebecca E.; Duffy, Oliver B.

2018-04-01

Pre-existing structures within sub-crustal lithosphere may localise stresses during subsequent tectonic events, resulting in complex fault systems at upper-crustal levels. As these sub-crustal structures are difficult to resolve at great depths, the evolution of kinematically and perhaps geometrically linked upper-crustal fault populations can offer insights into their deformation history, including when and how they reactivate and accommodate stresses during later tectonic events. In this study, we use borehole-constrained 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection data to investigate the structural development of the Farsund Basin, offshore southern Norway. We use throw-length (T-x) analysis and fault displacement backstripping techniques to determine the geometric and kinematic evolution of N-S- and E-W-striking upper-crustal fault populations during the multiphase evolution of the Farsund Basin. N-S-striking faults were active during the Triassic, prior to a period of sinistral strike-slip activity along E-W-striking faults during the Early Jurassic, which represented a hitherto undocumented phase of activity in this area. These E-W-striking upper-crustal faults are later obliquely reactivated under a dextral stress regime during the Early Cretaceous, with new faults also propagating away from pre-existing ones, representing a switch to a predominantly dextral sense of motion. The E-W faults within the Farsund Basin are interpreted to extend through the crust to the Moho and link with the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, a lithosphere-scale lineament, identified within the sub-crustal lithosphere, that extends > 1000 km across central Europe. Based on this geometric linkage, we infer that the E-W-striking faults represent the upper-crustal component of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone and that the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone represents a long-lived lithosphere-scale lineament that is periodically reactivated throughout its protracted geological history. The upper-crustal component of the lineament is reactivated in a range of tectonic styles, including both sinistral and dextral strike-slip motions, with the geometry and kinematics of these faults often inconsistent with what may otherwise be inferred from regional tectonics alone. Understanding these different styles of reactivation not only allows us to better understand the influence of sub-crustal lithospheric structure on rifting but also offers insights into the prevailing stress field during regional tectonic events.

The geophysical character of southern Alaska - Implications for crustal evolution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saltus, R.W.; Hudson, T.L.; Wilson, Frederic H.

2007-01-01

The southern Alaska continental margin has undergone a long and complicated history of plate convergence, subduction, accretion, and margin-parallel displacements. The crustal character of this continental margin is discernible through combined analysis of aeromagnetic and gravity data with key constraints from previous seismic interpretation. Regional magnetic data are particularly useful in defining broad geophysical domains. One of these domains, the south Alaska magnetic high, is the focus of this study. It is an intense and continuous magnetic high up to 200 km wide and ∼1500 km long extending from the Canadian border in the Wrangell Mountains west and southwest through Cook Inlet to the Bering Sea shelf. Crustal thickness beneath the south Alaska magnetic high is commonly 40–50 km. Gravity analysis indicates that the south Alaska magnetic high crust is dense. The south Alaska magnetic high spatially coincides with the Peninsular and Wrangellia terranes. The thick, dense, and magnetic character of this domain requires significant amounts of mafic rocks at intermediate to deep crustal levels. In Wrangellia these mafic rocks are likely to have been emplaced during Middle and (or) Late Triassic Nikolai Greenstone volcanism. In the Peninsular terrane, the most extensive period of mafic magmatism now known was associated with the Early Jurassic Talkeetna Formation volcanic arc. Thus the thick, dense, and magnetic character of the south Alaska magnetic high crust apparently developed as the response to mafic magmatism in both extensional (Wrangellia) and subduction-related arc (Peninsular terrane) settings. The south Alaska magnetic high is therefore a composite crustal feature. At least in Wrangellia, the crust was probably of average thickness (30 km) or greater prior to Triassic mafic magmatism. Up to 20 km (40%) of its present thickness may be due to the addition of Triassic mafic magmas. Throughout the south Alaska magnetic high, significant crustal growth was caused by the addition of mafic magmas at intermediate to deep crustal levels.

Ground deformation at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat during 1998 2000 measured by radar interferometry and GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadge, G.; Mattioli, G. S.; Herd, R. A.

2006-04-01

We examine the motion of the ground surface on the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat between 1998 and 2000 using radar interferometry (InSAR). To minimise the effects of variable atmospheric water vapour on the InSAR measurements we use independently-derived measurements of the radar path delay from six continuous GPS receivers. The surfaces providing a measurable interferometric signal are those on pyroclastic flow deposits, mainly emplaced in 1997. Three types of surface motion can be discriminated. Firstly, the surfaces of thick, valley-filling deposits subsided at rates of 150-120 mm/year in the year after emplacement to 50-30 mm/year two years later. This must be due to contraction and settling effects during cooling. The second type is the near-field motion localised within about one kilometre of the dome. Both subsidence and uplift events are seen and though the former could be due to surface gravitational effects, the latter may reflect shallow (< 1 km) pressurisation effects within the conduit/dome. Far-field motions of the surface away from the deeply buried valleys are interpreted as crustal strains. Because the flux of magma to the surface stopped from March 1998 to November 1999 and then resumed from November 1999 through 2000, we use InSAR data from these two periods to test the crustal strain behaviour of three models of magma supply: open, depleting and unbalanced. The InSAR observations of strain gradients of 75-80 mm/year/km uplift during the period of quiescence on the western side of the volcano are consistent with an unbalanced model in which magma supply into a crustal magma chamber continues during quiescence, raising chamber pressure that is then released upon resumption of effusion. GPS motion vectors agree qualitatively with the InSAR displacements but are of smaller magnitude. The discrepancy may be due to inaccurate compensation for atmospheric delays in the InSAR data.

Phase petrology reveals shallow magma storage prior to large explosive silicic eruptions at Hekla volcano, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Gregor; Castro, Jonathan M.

2017-05-01

Understanding the conditions that culminate in explosive eruptions of silicic magma is of great importance for volcanic hazard assessment and crisis mitigation. However, geological records of active volcanoes typically show a wide range of eruptive behavior and magnitude, which can vary dramatically for individual eruptive centers. In order to evaluate possible future scenarios of eruption precursors, magmatic system variables for different eruption types need to be constrained. Here we use petrological experiments and microanalysis of crystals to clarify the P-T-x state under which rhyodacitic melts accumulated prior to the H3 eruption; the largest Holocene Plinian eruption of Hekla volcano in Iceland. Cobalt-buffered, H2O-saturated phase equilibrium experiments reproduce the natural H3 pumice phenocryst assemblage (pl > fa + cpx > ilm + mt > ap + zrc) and glass chemistry, at 850 ± 15°C and PH2O of 130 to 175 MPa, implying shallow crustal magma storage between 5 and 6.6 km. The systematics of FeO and anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) content in plagioclase reveal that thermal gradients were more important than compositional mixing or mingling within this magma reservoir. As these petrological findings indicate magma storage much shallower than is currently thought of Hekla's mafic system, we use the constrained storage depth in combination with deformation modeling to forecast permissible surface uplift patterns that could stem from pre-eruptive magma intrusion. Using forward modeling of surface deformation above various magma storage architectures, we show that vertical surface displacements caused by silicic magma accumulation at ∼6 km depth would be narrower than those observed in recent mafic events, which are fed from a lower crustal storage zone. Our results show how petrological reconstruction of magmatic system variables can help link signs of pre-eruptive geophysical unrest to magmatic processes occurring in reservoirs at shallow depths. This will enhance our abilities to couple deformation measurements (e.g. InSAR and GPS) to petrological studies to better constrain potential precursors to volcanic eruptions.

Genesis of the Permian Kemozibayi sulfide-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusion in Altay, NW China: Evidence from zircon geochronology, Hf and O isotopes and mineral chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Dongmei; Qin, Kezhang; Xue, Shengchao; Mao, Yajing; Evans, Noreen J.; Niu, Yanjie; Chen, Junlu

2017-11-01

The recently discovered Kemozibayi mafic-ultramafic intrusion and its associated magmatic Cu-Ni sulfide deposits are located at the southern margin of the Chinese Altai Mountain, Central Asian Orogenic Belt in north Xinjiang, NW China. The intrusion is composed of olivine websterite, norite, gabbro and diorite. Disseminated and net-textured Ni-Cu sulfide ores are hosted in the center of the gabbro. In this work, new zircon U-Pb ages, Hf-O isotopic and sulfide S isotopic data, and whole rock and mineral chemical analyses are combined in order to elucidate the characteristics of the mantle source, nature of subduction processes, degree of crustal contamination, geodynamic setting of bimodal magmatism in the region, and the metallogenic potential of economic Cu-Ni sulfide deposit at depth. SIMS zircon U-Pb dating of the gabbro yields Permian ages (278.3 ± 1.9 Ma), coeval with the Kalatongke Cu-Ni deposit and with Cu-Ni deposits in the Eastern Tianshan and Beishan areas. Several lines of evidence (positive εHf(t) from + 7.1 to + 13.3, Al2O3, TiO2 and SiO2 contents in clinopyroxene from olivine websterite, high whole rock TiO2 contents) suggest that the primary magma of the Kemozibayi intrusion was a calc-alkaline basaltic magma derived from depleted mantle, and that the degree of partial melting in the magma source was high. The evolution of the Kemozibayi mafic-ultramafic complex was strongly controlled by fractional crystallization and the crystallization sequence was olivine websterite, norite, and then gabbro. This is evidenced by whole rock Fe2O3 contents that are positively correlated with MgO and negatively correlated with Al2O3, CaO and Na2O, similar LREE enrichment and negative Nb, Ta, Hf anomalies in chondrite and primitive mantle-normalized patterns, and a decrease in total REE and trace elements contents and magnetite content from gabbro through to norite and olivine websterite. Varied and low εHf(t) (+ 7.1 to + 13.3) and high δ18O values (+ 6.4‰ to + 7.2‰) in zircon, high La/Ba, and Rb/Y ratios, and low Nb/La ratios in whole rock samples, suggest 5-10% contamination by subduction related fluid and 10-15% contribution from an upper crustal component. The clinopyroxene TiO2 and Alz values (percentage of tetrahedral sites occupied by Al) in the Kemozibayi intrusion show characteristics of rift cumulate rocks, but minor arc cumulate features, indicating that the mantle source might have experienced a lower degree of subduction metasomatism. A high degree of partial melting of the depleted mantle and subducted oceanic sediments with related fluid metasomatism and crustal contamination in the Kemozibayi mafic-ultramafic intrusion are appropriate for the formation of an economic copper and nickel sulfide deposit. Crustal contamination, crustal S addition and early fractionation of olivine and sulfide induced S saturation and the formation of immiscible sulfide in the Kemozibayi intrusion. With no obvious olivine and Ni-rich sulfide co-crystallization, the Cu grade in the present orebody is higher than the Ni grade, and the proportion of mafic rocks is high in the Kemozibayi mafic-ultramafic complex. Cumulatively, these features suggest that the mafic-ultramafic intrusion underwent early olivine and Ni sulfide segregation, and that deeper or extended portions of the present intrusive body may host Ni mineralization.

CO2, SO2, and H2S Degassing Related to the 2009 Redoubt Eruption, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, C. A.; Kelly, P. J.; Evans, W.; Doukas, M. P.; McGimsey, R. G.; Neal, C. A.

2012-12-01

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska was particularly well monitored for volcanic gas emissions with 35 airborne measurements of CO2, SO2, and H2S that span from October 2008 to August 2010. Increases in CO2 degassing were detected up to 5 months prior to the eruption and varied between 3630 and 9020 tonnes per day (t/d) in the 6 weeks prior to the eruption. Increased pre-eruptive CO2 degassing was accompanied by comparatively low S emission, resulting in molar C/S ratios that ranged between 30-60. However, the C/S ratio dropped to 2.4 coincident with the first phreatic explosion on March 15, 2009, and remained steady during the explosive (March 22 - April 4, 2009), effusive dome-building (April 5 - July 1, 2009), and waning phases (August 2009 onward) of the eruption. Observations of ice-melt rates, melt water discharge, and water chemistry in the months leading up to the eruption suggested that surface waters represented drainage from surficial, perched reservoirs of condensed magmatic steam and glacial meltwater. While the surface waters were capable of scrubbing many thousands of t/d of SO2, sampling of these fluids revealed that only a few hundred tonnes of SO2 was reacting to a dissolved component each day. This is also much less than the ~ 2100 t/d SO2 expected from degassing of magma in the upper crust (3-6.5 km), where petrologic analysis shows the final magma equilibration occurred. Thus, the high pre-eruptive C/S ratios observed could reflect bulk degassing of upper-crustal magma followed by nearly complete loss of SO2 in a magmatic-hydrothermal system. Alternatively, high C/S ratios could be attributed to degassing of low silica andesitic magma that intruded into the mid-crust in the 5 months prior to eruption; modeling suggests that mixing of this magma with pre-existing high silica andesite magma or mush would have caused a reduction of the C/S ratio to a value consistent with that measured during the eruption. Monitoring emissions regularly throughout the eruptive phases showed that the magmatic system degassed primarily as a closed system with approximately 59 and 66 % of the total CO2 and SO2, respectively, emitted during the explosive and dome growth periods. Maximum emission rates measured with airborne techniques were 33,110 t/d CO2, 16,650 t/d SO2, and 1230 t/d H2S. Pre-eruptive open system degassing accounted for only 14% of the total CO2 and 4% of total SO2, whereas post-eruptive passive degassing was responsible for 27 and 30 % of the total CO2 and SO2 with measurements extending over one year following the cessation of dome extrusion. SO2 made up on average 92% of the total sulfur degassing throughout the eruption. Primary volatile contents calculated from degassing and erupted magma volumes range from 0.9-2.1 wt. % CO2 and 0.27 - 0.56 wt. % S. Similar trends between volumes of estimated degassed magma and observed erupted magma during the eruptive period point to primary volatile contents of 1.25 wt. % CO2 and 0.35 wt. % S. Assuming these values, up to 30% additional unerupted magma degassed in the year following final dome emplacement.

Geochronological, geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic characteristics of Cretaceous monzonitic plutons in western Zhejiang Province, Southeast China: New insights into the petrogenesis of intermediate rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Liang; Qiu, Jian-Sheng; Zhao, Jiao-Long; Yang, Ze-Li

2014-05-01

We present comprehensive petrological, geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data for the Matou and Dalai plutons in western Zhejiang Province, Southeast China, with the aim of constraining the petrogenesis of monzonites and to offer new insights into the deep processes of interaction between crustal- and mantle-derived magmas beneath SE China. The Matou pluton comprises quartz monzonite, whereas the Dalai pluton consists of quartz monzodiorite. Zircon U-Pb ages obtained by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry show that both plutons were emplaced at 99-101 Ma. Rocks of both plutons are intermediate to silicic, metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, subalkaline, and K-rich in composition. Samples of the plutons are enriched in large ion lithophile (e.g., Rb, K, and Pb) and light rare earth elements, depleted in high-field strength elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti), and have small negative or no Eu anomalies. In addition, the rocks have high Mg# values (up to 53.9), high zircon ɛHf(t) values (up to - 1.4), and low Nb/U and Ta/U ratios. Geochemical evidence suggests that both depleted asthenospheric and metasomatically enriched mantle components were involved in the formation of these monzonitic rocks. The presence of inherited zircons with Palaeoproterozoic ages and zircons with unusually low ɛHf(t) values (- 12.9) in the Matou quartz monzonites indicates that ancient crustal materials were also involved in their petrogenesis. In combination with the presence of abundant mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) with spheroidal to ellipsoidal-ovoidal shapes and xenocrysts within the more diffused enclaves, and the results of trace element modelling, we suggest that the Matou quartz monzonites were generated by mixing between mantle-derived mafic magmas and crustally derived silicic magmas. The Dalai pluton is relatively homogeneous and contains fewer MMEs than the Matou pluton. Zircons from the Dalai pluton show no inherited components, indicating that crustal materials have played a limited role in the petrogenesis of the quartz monzodiorites. The Dalai quartz monzodiorites have lower SiO2 contents, higher Mg# values, and considerably higher and variable Cr, Co, and Ni concentrations than the Matou quartz monzonites. Zircon Hf isotopic compositions of the Dalai pluton are relatively homogeneous (ɛHf(t) = - 5.2 to - 3.2). The combined petrological, geochemical, and isotopic features indicate that the Dalai monzodiorites were generated by olivine- and pyroxene-dominated fractional crystallisation from basaltic magmas, which were in turn produced by mixing between melts from depleted asthenosphere and subduction-enriched mantle. Our interpretation implies that Late Mesozoic monzonitic rocks in Southeast China require a significant input of mantle melts, and some may have been generated solely by fractionation of basaltic magmas. This petrogenetic model may be applicable to other monzonitic rocks in Southeast China, and to similar tectonic settings and sites of monzonitic magma generation worldwide.

Sidewall crystallization and saturation front formation in silicic magma chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lake, E. T.

2012-12-01

The cooling and crystallization style of silicic magma bodies in the upper crust falls on a continuum between whole-chamber processes of convection, crystal settling, and cumulate formation and interface driven processes of conduction and crystallization front migration. In the former case, volatile saturation occurs uniformly chamber wide, in the latter volatile saturation occurs along an inward propagating front. Ambient thermal gradient primarily controls the propagation rate; warm (> 30 °C / km) geothermal gradients promote 1000m+ thick crystal mush zones but slow crystallization front propagation. Cold geothermal gradients support the opposite. Magma chamber geometry plays a second order role in controlling propagation rates; bodies with high surface to magma ratio and large Earth's surface parallel faces exhibit more rapid propagation and smaller mush zones. Crystallization front propagation occurs at speeds of up to 6 cm/year (rhyolitic magma, thin sill geometry, 10 °C / km geotherm), far faster than diffusion of volatiles in magma and faster than bubbles can nucleate and ascend under certain conditions. Saturation front propagation is fixed by pressure and magma crystal content; above certain modest initial water contents (4.4 wt% in a dacite) mobile magma above 10 km depth always contains a saturation front. Saturation fronts propagate down from the magma chamber roof at lower water contents (3.3 wt% in a dacite at 5 km depth), creating an upper saturated interface for most common (4 - 6 wt%) magma water contents. This upper interface promotes the production of a fluid pocket underneath the apex of the magma chamber. Magma de-densification by bubble nucleation promotes convection and homogenization in dacitic systems. If the fluid pocket grew rapidly without draining, hydro-fracturing and eruption would result. The combination of fluid escape pathways and metal scavenging would generate economic vein or porphyry deposits.

Zircon U-Pb Age Distributions in Cogenetic Crystal-Rich Dacitic and Crystal-Poor Rhyolitic Members of Zoned Ignimbrites in the Southern Rocky Mountains by Chemical Abrasion Inductively-Coupled-Plasma Mass Spectrometry (CA-LA-ICP-MS).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sliwinski, J.; Zimmerer, M. J.; Guillong, M.; Bachmann, O.; Lipman, P. W.

2015-12-01

The San Juan locus of the Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field (SRMVF) in SW Colorado represents an erosional remnant of a mid-Tertiary (~37-23 Ma) ignimbrite flare up that produced some of the most voluminous ignimbrites on Earth. A key feature of many SRMVF ignimbrites is compositional zonation, with many volcanic units comprising both dacitic and rhyolitic horizons. Geochemical, field and petrographic evidence suggests that dacites and rhyolites are cogenetic. Here, we report U-Pb zircon ages by chemical abrasion inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (CA-LA-ICPMS) for rhyolitic and dacitic components in four units: the Bonanza, Rat Creek, Carpenter Ridge and Nelson Mountain Tuffs. All units show zircon age spectra that are either within analytical uncertainty of Ar/Ar ages or are appreciably older, indicating prolonged magma residence times (~500 ka) prior to eruption. Anomalously young Pb-loss zones in zircon have been largely removed by chemical abrasion. Older, inherited zircons and zircon cores (60-2000 Ma) are rare in all samples, suggesting limited assimilation of upper crustal Precambrian country rock or complete resorption during recharge events and magma chamber growth.

Geochronology, geochemistry and isotope tracing of the Oligocene magmatism of the Buchim-Damjan-Borov Dol ore district: Implications for timing, duration and source of the magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, St.; Barcikowski, J.; von Quadt, A.; Gallhofer, D.; Peytcheva, I.; Heinrich, C. A.; Serafimovski, T.

2013-11-01

Timing, source and magmatic evolution of the intrusions in the Buchim-Damjan-Borov Dol ore district of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M.) have been studied. They intrude the Circum Rhodope Unit close to the contact with the Vardar Zone and are a part of the Late Eocene-Oligocene Macedonian Rhodope-North Aegean belt. The magmatism at Buchim-Damjan-Borov Dol occurred between 24.04 ± 0.77 and 24.51 ± 0.89 Ma, as indicated by chemical-annealing (CA)-LA ICP-MS zircon dating. Major element, trace and rare earth element analyses have been performed on the various intrusive rocks. All ore bearing magmas were classified as trachyandesitic, except the youngest intrusion which is not associated with mineralization; the Black Hill locality (24.04 ± 0.77 Ma) shows a trachytic composition. The distribution of the trace elements, enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE), indicates subduction-related magmatism; most of the magmas follow a calc-alkaline fractionation trend with shoshonitic affinities; additionally, Sr/Y (10 to 90) and La/Yb values show some similarities to adakite-like magmas. Sr and Nd isotope ratios (Sri = 0.70658 to 0.70740 and Ndi = 0.512425-0.512497) show that the magmatic products were slightly contaminated by continental crust material, e.g., the Variscan/Cadomian basement. In the Late Eocene-Oligocene belt the magmatism between 29 and 35 Ma is dominated by crustal melting with an increase in the mantle contribution between 20 and 27 Ma. We suggest the following scenario for the magmatic history of the Buchim-Damjan-Borov Dol ore district: a slab rollback of an oceanic slab located further to the SW which led to extensional and compressional features in upper levels of the continental crust. In the middle to upper crust three consecutive crystallization stages occurred at variable depths as indicated by amphibole zonation. Mixing of newly formed crust with mantle-like affinities and continental crust material in variable degrees during the ascent of the magma can explain all geochemical characteristics. The magma crystallized as dykes or stocks near the Earth's surface (> 1 km) after its final emplacement and contemporaneous hydrothermal activity led to different mineralization styles depending on the lithology of the host rocks.

Deep structure of Medicine Lake volcano, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ritter, J.R.R.; Evans, J.R.

1997-01-01

Medicine Lake volcano (MLV) in northeastern California is the largest-volume volcano in the Cascade Range. The upper-crustal structure of this Quaternary shield volcano is well known from previous geological and geophysical investigations. In 1981, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a teleseismic tomography experiment on MLV to explore its deeper structure. The images we present, calculated using a modern form of the ACH-inversion method, reveal that there is presently no hint of a large (> 100 km3), hot magma reservoir in the crust. The compressional-wave velocity perturbations show that directly beneath MLV's caldera there is a zone of increased seismic velocity. The perturbation amplitude is +10% in the upper crust, +5% in the lower crust, and +3% in the lithospheric mantle. This positive seismic velocity anomaly presumably is caused by mostly subsolidus gabbroic intrusive rocks in the crust. Heat and melt removal are suggested as the cause in the upper mantle beneath MLV, inferred from petro-physical modeling. The increased seismic velocity appears to be nearly continuous to 120 km depth and is a hint that the original melts come at least partly from the lower lithospheric mantle. Our second major finding is that the upper mantle southeast of MLV is characterized by relatively slow seismic velocities (-1%) compared to the northwest side. This anomaly is interpreted to result from the elevated temperatures under the northwest Basin and Range Province.

Upper crustal densities derived from sea floor gravity measurements: Northern Juan De Fuca Ridge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holmes, Mark L.; Johnson, H. Paul

1993-01-01

A transect of sea floor gravity stations has been analyzed to determine upper crustal densities on the Endeavour segment of the northern Juan de Fuca Ridge. Data were obtained using ALVIN along a corridor perpendicular to the axis of spreading, over crustal ages from 0 to 800,000 years. Calculated elevation factors from the gravity data show an abrupt increase in density with age (distance) for the upper 200 m of crust. This density change is interpreted as a systematic reduction in bulk porosity of the upper crustal section, from 23% for the axial ridge to 10% for the off-axis flanking ridges. The porosity decrease is attributed to the collapse and filling of large-scale voids as the abyssal hills move out of the crustal formation zone. Forward modeling of a plausible density structure for the near-axis region agrees with the observed anomaly data only if the model includes narrow, along-strike, low-density regions adjacent to both inner and outer flanks of the abyssal hills. The required low density zones could be regions of systematic upper crustal fracturing and faulting that were mapped by submersible observers and side-scan sonar images, and whose presence was suggested by the distribution of heat flow data in the same area.

Mushy magma processes in the Tuolumne intrusive complex, Sierra Nevada, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memeti, V.; Paterson, S. R.

2012-12-01

Debates continue on the nature of volcanic-plutonic connections and the mechanisms of derivation of large volcanic eruptions, which require large volumes of magma to be readily available within a short period of time. Our focus to understand these magma plumbing systems has been to study the nature of their mid-to upper crustal sections, such as the 1,000 km2, 95-85 Ma old Tuolumne intrusive complex in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. The Tuolumne intrusive complex is a great example where the magma mush model nicely explains observations derived from several datasets. These data suggest that a magma mush body was present and may have been quite extensive especially at times when the Tuolumne intrusive complex was undergoing waxing periods of magmatism (increased magma input), which alternated with waning periods of magmatism (decreased magma addition) and thus a smaller mush body, essentially mimicking in style periodic flare-ups and lulls at the arc scale. During waxing stages, magma erosion and mixing were the dominant processes, whereas waning stages allowed mush domains to continue to undergo fractional crystallization creating additional compositional variations. Over time, the imprint left behind by previous waxing and waning stages was partly overprinted, but individual crystals successfully recorded the compositions of these earlier magmas. Waxing periods in the Tuolumne intrusive complex during which large magma mush bodies formed are supported by the following evidence: 1) Hybrid units and gradational contacts are commonly present between major Tuolumne units. 2) CA-TIMS U/Pb zircon geochronology data demonstrate that antecrystic zircon recycling took place unidirectional from the oldest, marginal unit toward the younger, interior parts of the intrusion, where increasing zircon age spread encompasses the entire age range of the Tuolumne. 3) The younger, interior units also show an increasing scatter and complexity in geochemical element and isotope whole rock data. 4) Single mineral geochemistry suggests that this increased heterogeneity in the interior of the complex is likely caused by the presence of mixed mineral populations that acquired their compositional zoning in magmas different than the one they most recently crystallized in. 5) Mixed mineral populations have also been found in places of local magma mixing (e.g., tubes and troughs), and 6) oscillatory trace element zoning in K-feldspar phenocrysts most likely represents magma replenishment. All of these phenomena suggest a fairly dynamic environment of magma replenishment, magmatic erosion and extensive mixing at the locus of chamber growth. Magma replenishment subsided after episodic flare-ups and the magma mush dominantly underwent fractional crystallization and magmatic fabric formation during waning stages, when it was capable of preserving the evidence at map to crystal scale, lacking any later overprint by mixing. Fractionation related evidence is apparent in the presence of 1) map to outcrop scale leucogranite lenses and dikes in all major Tuolumne units (including the Johnson Peak granite itself), 2) the concentric compositional zonation of magmatic lobes (e.g., southern Half Dome lobe), 3) local crystal accumulations and widespread schlieren, and 4) fractionation related single mineral element zoning.

Development of a large volume of eruptible mush in the upper Wooley Creek batholith, Klamath Mountains, California: evidence from bulk rock, mineral analyses and textural observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coint, N.; Barnes, C. G.; Barnes, M. A.; Yoshinobu, A. S.

2012-12-01

The modalities of development of large volumes of mush in the middle to upper crust capable of erupting have been debated over the past few years. The existence of crystal-rich ignimbrites in the volcanic record indicate that eruptive products do not necessarily correspond to evacuation of the residual magma but that the mush itself can be drained during eruptive events. In this study we present a plutonic example of a large magma batch that evolved by fractional crystallization at a hundred km3 scale: the upper zone of the Wooley Creek batholith (WCb). The WCb is an intrusive complex emplaced over less than 3 m.y. (Kevin Chamberlain, personal communication). The upper zone grades upward from quartz diorite (53 wt% SiO2) to granite (70 wt% SiO2). Hornblende from the central and upper zone have rare earth element patterns that are parallel to one another and with REE concentrations and negative Eu anomalies that decrease from core to rim. The similarities of hornblende REE patterns throughout both the central and upper zones of the system (160 km2 of exposed area) suggest that hornblende crystallized from a magma batch of fairly homogeneous composition. Thus, upward changes in bulk composition between rocks at the bottom and the top of this unit result from varying mineral proportions, with more subhedral plagioclase and hornblende at the bottom and more anhedral to euhedral quartz and interstitial to poikilitic K-feldspar at the top. Two possible explanations are considered: 1) more felsic batches of magma were emplaced at the top of the system and more mafic ones were restricted to the bottom, 2) the upper zone acquired its upward compositional zoning through melt percolation, with the less dense felsic melt ponding at the roof of the system. In the first case, the similarity of hornblende REE patterns throughout the upper zone cannot be explained. Therefore, we favor the second explanation, which is also supported by the lack of sharp contacts in the upper zone. Individual magma batches in the central zone contain hornblende of similar composition as in the upper zone and are interpreted as a preserved part of the feeder system of the latter. Therefore the magma in both the central and upper WCb was already fairly homogeneous when it arrived at the level of emplacement. Dacitic to rhyodacitic roof dikes with30-40% phenocrysts of hornblende and plagioclase with compositions similar to those found in the central and upper zones indicate that the mush was once eruptible. The presence of quartz phenocrysts, which are only found in the uppermost portion of the upper zone, show that 'eruption' occurred after the development of the broad zoning of the upper zone and after more evolved melt had collected at the top of an underlying mush. This study introduces new tools to study magmatic reservoir evolution. The combination of bulk rock and mineral data allows assessment of the extent of mineral-melt separation and identification of the composition of a potential parental magma(s). These data can ideally be used to delimit the size of magma batches and constrain the scale of their chemical/physical connectivity.

Beating the Heat: Magmatism in the Low-Temperature Thermochronologic Record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, K. E.; Reiners, P. W.; Braun, J.; Karlstrom, L.; Morriss, M. C.

2017-12-01

The low-temperature thermochronology community was quick to recognize upper-crustal complexities in the geotherm that reflect landscape evolution, but the complex effects of crustal magmatism on thermochronometers can be difficult to independently document and remain underexplored. Because magmatism is common in many regions central to our understanding of tectonics, this is a significant gap in our ability to robustly interpret rock cooling. Here, we use several different numerical approaches to examine how local and regional crustal magmatism affects cooling age patterns and present examples from the western US that demonstrate the importance—and utility—of considering these effects. We modified the finite-element code Pecube to calculate how thermochronometers document the emplacement of simple hot bodies at different crustal levels. Results demonstrate the potential for mid-crustal plutons, emplaced at 10-15 km depth, to reset cooling ages in the overlying rocks at partial-retention depths at the time of magmatism. Permo-Triassic sandstones from the Colorado Plateau's Canyonlands region have apatite cooling ages that exemplify the resulting ambiguity: Oligocene rock cooling can be attributed to either 1 km of erosion or relaxation of a geothermal gradient transiently doubled by mid-crustal magmatism. Despite these complexities, there are compelling reasons to target rocks with magmatic histories. Shallowly emplaced plutons can usefully reset cooling ages in country rocks with protracted near-surface histories, as we have demonstrated in the Colorado Plateau's Henry Mountains. Cooling age patterns are also useful for quantifying magmatic processes themselves. In an ongoing project, we use the pattern of thermochronometer resetting around individual dikes that fed the Columbia River flood basalts, which are exposed in the Wallowa Mountains, to identify long-lived feeder dikes and model their thermal aureoles to further constrain eruptive dynamics. The pattern of resetting around dikes compliments higher-temperature constraints on the longevity of magma flow from phase equilibria in partially melted wall rocks. In principal, this technique should also resolve along-strike variability in flow localization, providing novel constraints on eruptive flux in large igneous provinces.

Space imaging of a 300 years old cooling magma chamber: Timanfaya volcano (Lanzarote, Canary Islands)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, P. J.; Tiampo, K. F.

2010-12-01

Multitemporal space radar interferometry analysis between 1992 and 2000 revealed significantly deforming areas with a magnitude of 4-6 mm/yr of lengthening in the radar line of sight at Timanfaya volcano (Lanzarote, Canary Island). Timanfaya volcano erupted almost 300 years ago (1730-1736), along a 15 km-long fissure-feeding magmatic system, resulting in the longest and largest historical eruption of the Canarian archipelago to date, with >1 km3 of erupted basaltic lavas covering 200 km2. High surficial temperature (600 degrees-C at 13 m) and high heat flux measurements (150 mW/m2) suggest that the remnants of the magmatic chamber that fed the 1730-1736 are still partly molten. Here, we present preliminary models of the subsidence taking into account all available data, including geophysical data (heat flux, seismic, magnetotelluric and gravity), the geochemistry of freshly erupted lavas, upper mantle and crustal xenoliths, and structural geology.

Modelling the seismic properties of fast-spreading ridge crustal Low-Velocity Zones: insights from Oman gabbro textures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamoureux, Gwenaëlle; Ildefonse, Benoı̂t; Mainprice, David

1999-11-01

Although considerable progress has been made in the study of fast-spreading, mid-ocean ridge magma chambers over the past fifteen years, the fraction of melt present in the chamber remains poorly constrained and controversial. We present new constraints obtained by modelling the seismic properties of partially molten gabbros at the ridge axis. P-wave velocities at low frequencies are calculated in the foliation/lineation reference frame using a differential effective medium technique. The model takes into account the lattice preferred orientation of the crystalline phase and the average shape of the melt phase. The structural parameters are obtained from the Oman ophiolite. The structural reference frame is given by the general trend of the gabbro foliation and the melt fraction and shape are estimated using the textures of nine upper gabbro samples. The estimated melt fraction and shape depend on the assumptions regarding which part of the observed textures represent the melt in the gabbroic mush of the magma chamber. However, we can put limits on the reasonable values for the melt fraction and shape. Our results are consistent with a melt fraction of the order of 10 to 20% in the Low-Velocity Zone (i.e. the magma chamber), which is anisotropically distributed with the melt pockets preferentially aligned parallel to the foliation and approximated by oblate ellipsoids with approximate dimensions of 4 : 4 : 1. These results are also consistent with the seismic structure of the East Pacific rise at 9°30'. The anisotropic melt distribution can, at least partially, explain the vertical velocity gradient described in the LVZ.

Three-dimensional seismic velocity structure and earthquake relocations at Katmai, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, Rachel; Thurber, Clifford; Prejean, Stephanie G.; Bennington, Ninfa

2014-01-01

We invert arrival time data from local earthquakes occurring between September 2004 and May 2009 to determine the three-dimensional (3D) upper crustal seismic structure in the Katmai volcanic region. Waveforms for the study come from the Alaska Volcano Observatory's permanent network of 20 seismic stations in the area (predominantly single-component, short period instruments) plus a densely spaced temporary array of 11 broadband, 3-component stations. The absolute and relative arrival times are used in a double-difference seismic tomography inversion to solve for 3D P- and S-wave velocity models for an area encompassing the main volcanic centers. The relocated hypocenters provide insight into the geometry of seismogenic structures in the area, revealing clustering of events into four distinct zones associated with Martin, Mageik, Trident-Novarupta, and Mount Katmai. The seismic activity extends from about sea level to 2 km depth (all depths referenced to mean sea level) beneath Martin, is concentrated near 2 km depth beneath Mageik, and lies mainly between 2 and 4 km depth below Katmai and Trident-Novarupta. Many new features are apparent within these earthquake clusters. In particular, linear features are visible within all clusters, some associated with swarm activity, including an observation of earthquake migration near Trident in 2008. The final velocity model reveals a possible zone of magma storage beneath Mageik, but there is no clear evidence for magma beneath the Katmai-Novarupta area where the 1912 eruptive activity occurred, suggesting that the storage zone for that eruption may have largely been evacuated, or remnant magma has solidified.

Crustal-scale degassing and igneous mush re-organisation: a generic concept applied to episodic volcanism at the Soufrière Hills Volcano Montserrat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

R Stephen J, S.; Cashman, K. V.

2015-12-01

A complete theory of episodic volcanism is lacking. Melt generation related to large scale tectonic processes is likely continuous but surface volcanic activity is typically episodic; for most volcanoes short-lived eruptions alternate with long periods of dormancy. Many models of volcanic activity and geophysical unrest are framed by a conceptual model of shallow magma chamber recharge, in which various phenomena are attributed to magma transport from deeper levels. While many aspects of volcanism are explained by this concept it has little explanatory power for key aspects of volcanism, including time scales of dormancy, eruption duration and eruption magnitude. Extensive trans-crustal igneous systems develop beneath active volcanoes in which much of the system is in a mushy state in which buoyancy-driven segregation of melt and magmatic fluid occurs to form layers, which are inherently unstable. We postulate that such systems are prone to destabilisation in which segregating layers amalgamate to form ephemeral magma chambers and in which melts and magmatic fluids decouple. Periods of dormancy relate to slow processes of segregation while short periods of volcanic unrest and eruption relate to episodic and rapid processes of destabilisation of the mush system. In this conceptual framework volatiles rather than magma recharge plays the key role in the dynamics of the shallow parts of the magmatic systems. Magma ascent during episodes of destabilisation does not itself cause pressurisation because melts and crystals are near incompressible, while volatile exsolution and decompression results in major pressure changes that can lead to unrest and eruption. These concepts are applied to the interpretation of stratigraphic, geochronological, geophysical, geochemical, petrological and volcanological data of volcanic activity at the Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV), Montserrat.

Emplacement of the early Miocene Pinto Peak intrusion, Southwest Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petronis, Michael S.; O'Driscoll, Brian

2013-12-01

In this contribution, we report rock magnetic, petrographic, and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data from the Pinto Peak intrusion, all of which bear on volcanic construction. Rock magnetic data indicate that the dominant magnetic mineral phase is low-Ti titanomagnetite of multidomain grain size, the composition of which varies spatially across the intrusion. The intrusion is a porphyritic andesite dominated by Ca-rich plagioclase (>60%) as well as biotite, amphibole, olivine, and opaque minerals. Reflected light petrography reveals mostly euhedral-subhedral (titano)magnetite crystals that often form clustered glomerocrysts and stringers of equant crystals, without exhibiting a consistent mineral alignment fabric. Moderate-to-shallow plunging prolate magnetic susceptibility ellipsoids dominate the northern part of the intrusion while steeply dipping/plunging magnetic susceptibility ellipsoids are generally restricted to the southern part of the intrusion. The vent facies rocks yield moderate-to-steep oblate susceptibility ellipsoids. We interpret the flow pattern in the north to reflect subhorizontal flow of magma, filling a tabular sheet-like body associated with propagation of the intrusion to the north. We argue that the southern part of the intrusion represents the ascent site of the magma rising to shallow crustal levels along a steep feeder system. The oblate magnetic fabrics in the vent area plausibly represent flattening against the conduit walls as evidenced by a weak planar flow foliation observed in the vent conduit rocks. On reaching shallow crustal levels, the magma deformed and uplifted the roof rocks leading to gravitational instability. As the slide mass released from the roof, an explosive eruption ensued resulting in the emplacement of the Rocks of Paradise tuff and associated effusive lava flows. Following eruption, magma pressure decreased and the magma drained northward forming the northern intrusive phase.

Crustal-scale degassing due to magma system destabilization and magma-gas decoupling at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christopher, T. E.; Blundy, J.; Cashman, K.; Cole, P.; Edmonds, M.; Smith, P. J.; Sparks, R. S. J.; Stinton, A.

2015-09-01

Activity since 1995 at Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV), Montserrat has alternated between andesite lava extrusion and quiescence, which are well correlated with seismicity and ground deformation cycles. Large variations in SO2 flux do not correlate with these alternations, but high and low HCl/SO2 characterize lava dome extrusion and quiescent periods respectively. Since lava extrusion ceased (February 2010) steady SO2 emissions have continued at an average rate of 374 tonnes/day (± 140 t/d), and incandescent fumaroles (temperatures up to 610oC) on the dome have not changed position or cooled. Occasional short bursts (over several hours) of higher (˜ 10x) SO2 flux have been accompanied by swarms of volcano-tectonic earthquakes. Strain data from these bursts indicate activation of the magma system to depths up to 10 km. SO2 emissions since 1995 greatly exceed the amounts that could be derived from 1.1 km3 of erupted andesite, and indicating extensive partitioning of sulfur into a vapour phase, as well as efficient decoupling and outgassing of sulfur-rich gases from the magma. These observations are consistent with a vertically extensive, crustal magmatic mush beneath SHV. Three states of the magmatic system are postulated to control degassing. During dormant periods (103 to 104 years) magmatic vapour and melts separate as layers from the mush and decouple from each other. In periods of unrest (years) without eruption, melt and fluid layers become unstable, ascend and can amalgamate. Major destabilization of the mush system leads to eruption, characterized by magma mixing and release of volatiles with different ages, compositions and sources.

New Geochemical Analyses Reveal Crustal Accretionary Processes at The Overlapping Spreading Center Near 3 N East Pacific Rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smithka, I. N.; Perfit, M. R.

2013-12-01

Mid-ocean ridges (MORs) are the sites of oceanic lithosphere creation and construction. Ridge discontinuities are a global phenomenom but are not as well understood as ridge axes. Geochemical analyses provide insights into upper mantle processes since elements fractionate with melting and freezing as well as reside in material to retain source signature. Lavas collected from ridge discontinuities consist of greater chemical diversity and represent variations in source, melting parameters, and local crustal processes. The small overlapping spreading center (OSC) near the third parallel north on the East Pacific Rise has been superficially analyzed previously, but here we present new isotope analyses and expand our understanding of MOR processes and processes near OSCs. Initial analyses of lavas collected in 2000 on AHA-NEMO2 revealed normal MOR basalt trends in rare earth element enrichments as well as in major element concentrations. Crystal fractionation varies along the tips of both axes, with MgO and TiO2 concentrations increasing towards the OSC basin. Newly analyzed Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope ratios will further constrain the nature of geochemical diversity along axis. As the northern tip seems to be propagating and the southern tip dying, lavas collected from each may reflect two different underlying mantle melting and magma storage processes.

Petrology and tectonics of Phanerozoic continent formation: From island arcs to accretion and continental arc magmatism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, C.-T.A.; Morton, D.M.; Kistler, R.W.; Baird, A.K.

2007-01-01

Mesozoic continental arcs in the North American Cordillera were examined here to establish a baseline model for Phanerozoic continent formation. We combine new trace-element data on lower crustal xenoliths from the Mesozoic Sierra Nevada Batholith with an extensive grid-based geochemical map of the Peninsular Ranges Batholith, the southern equivalent of the Sierras. Collectively, these observations give a three-dimensional view of the crust, which permits the petrogenesis and tectonics of Phanerozoic crust formation to be linked in space and time. Subduction of the Farallon plate beneath North America during the Triassic to early Cretaceous was characterized by trench retreat and slab rollback because old and cold oceanic lithosphere was being subducted. This generated an extensional subduction zone, which created fringing island arcs just off the Paleozoic continental margin. However, as the age of the Farallon plate at the time of subduction decreased, the extensional environment waned, allowing the fringing island arc to accrete onto the continental margin. With continued subduction, a continental arc was born and a progressively more compressional environment developed as the age of subducting slab continued to young. Refinement into a felsic crust occurred after accretion, that is, during the continental arc stage, wherein a thickened crustal and lithospheric column permitted a longer differentiation column. New basaltic arc magmas underplate and intrude the accreted terrane, suture, and former continental margin. Interaction of these basaltic magmas with pre-existing crust and lithospheric mantle created garnet pyroxenitic mafic cumulates by fractional crystallization at depth as well as gabbroic and garnet pyroxenitic restites at shallower levels by melting of pre-existing lower crust. The complementary felsic plutons formed by these deep-seated differentiation processes rose into the upper crust, stitching together the accreted terrane, suture and former continental margin. The mafic cumulates and restites, owing to their high densities, eventually foundered into the mantle, leaving behind a more felsic crust. Our grid-based sampling allows us to estimate an unbiased average upper crustal composition for the Peninsular Ranges Batholith. Major and trace-element compositions are very similar to global continental crust averaged over space and time, but in detail, the Peninsular Ranges are slightly lower in compatible to mildly incompatible elements, MgO, Mg#, V, Sc, Co, and Cr. The compositional similarities suggest a strong arc component in global continental crust, but the slight discrepancies suggest that additional crust formation processes are also important in continent formation as a whole. Finally, the delaminated Sierran garnet pyroxenites have some of the lowest U/Pb ratios ever measured for silicate rocks. Such material, if recycled and stored in the deep mantle, would generate a reservoir with very unradiogenic Pb, providing one solution to the global Pb isotope paradox. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Global Mapping of Oceanic and Continental Shelf Crustal Thickness and Ocean-Continent Transition Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusznir, Nick; Alvey, Andy; Roberts, Alan

2017-04-01

The 3D mapping of crustal thickness for continental shelves and oceanic crust, and the determination of ocean-continent transition (OCT) structure and continent-ocean boundary (COB) location, represents a substantial challenge. Geophysical inversion of satellite derived free-air gravity anomaly data incorporating a lithosphere thermal anomaly correction (Chappell & Kusznir, 2008) now provides a useful and reliable methodology for mapping crustal thickness in the marine domain. Using this we have produced the first comprehensive maps of global crustal thickness for oceanic and continental shelf regions. Maps of crustal thickness and continental lithosphere thinning factor from gravity inversion may be used to determine the distribution of oceanic lithosphere, micro-continents and oceanic plateaux including for the inaccessible polar regions (e.g. Arctic Ocean, Alvey et al.,2008). The gravity inversion method provides a prediction of continent-ocean boundary location which is independent of ocean magnetic anomaly and isochron interpretation. Using crustal thickness and continental lithosphere thinning factor maps with superimposed shaded-relief free-air gravity anomaly, we can improve the determination of pre-breakup rifted margin conjugacy and sea-floor spreading trajectory during ocean basin formation. By restoring crustal thickness & continental lithosphere thinning to their initial post-breakup configuration we show the geometry and segmentation of the rifted continental margins at their time of breakup, together with the location of highly-stretched failed breakup basins and rifted micro-continents. For detailed analysis to constrain OCT structure, margin type (i.e. magma poor, "normal" or magma rich) and COB location, a suite of quantitative analytical methods may be used which include: (i) Crustal cross-sections showing Moho depth and crustal basement thickness from gravity inversion. (ii) Residual depth anomaly (RDA) analysis which is used to investigate OCT bathymetric anomalies with respect to expected oceanic values. This includes flexural backstripping to produce bathymetry corrected for sediment loading. (iii) Subsidence analysis which is used to determine the distribution of continental lithosphere thinning. (iv) Joint inversion of time-domain deep seismic reflection and gravity anomaly data which is used to determine lateral variations in crustal basement density and velocity across the OCT, and to validate deep seismic reflection interpretations of Moho depth. The combined interpretation of these independent quantitative measurements is used to determine crustal thickness and composition across the ocean-continent-transition. This integrated approach has been validated on the Iberian margin where ODP drilling provides ground-truth of ocean-continent-transition crustal structure, continent-ocean-boundary location and magmatic type.

Crustal and Upper Mantle Structure from Joint Inversion of Body Wave and Gravity Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

CRUSTAL AND UPPER MANTLE STRUCTURE FROM JOINT INVERSION OF BODY WAVE AND GRAVITY DATA Eric A. Bergman1, Charlotte Rowe2, and Monica Maceira2...for these events include many readings of direct crustal P and S phases, as well as regional (Pn and Sn) and teleseismic phases. These data have been...the usefulness of the gravity data, we apply high-pass filtering, yielding gravity anomalies that possess higher resolving power for crustal and

Magma Mixing: Why Picrites are Not So Hot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natland, J. H.

2010-12-01

Oxide gabbros or ferrogabbros are the late, low-temperature differentiates of tholeiitic magma and usually form as cumulates that can have 2-30% of the magmatic oxides, ilmenite and magnetite. They are common in the ocean crust and are likely ubiquitous wherever extensive tholeiitic magmatism has occurred, especially beneath thick lava piles such as at Hawaii, Iceland, oceanic plateaus, island arcs and ancient continental crust. When intruded by hot primitive magma including picrite, the oxide-bearing portions of these rocks are readily partially melted or assimilated into the magma and contribute to it a degree of iron and titanium enrichment that is not reflective of the mantle source of the primitive magma. The most extreme examples of such mixing are meimechites and ferropicrites, but this type of end-member mixing is even common in MORB. To the extent this process occurs, the eruptive picrite cannot be used to estimate compositions of partial melts of mantle rocks, nor their eruptive or potential temperatures, using olivine-liquid FeO-MgO backtrack procedures. Most picrites have glasses with compositions approximating those expected from low-pressure multiphase cotectic crystallization, and olivine that on average crystallized from liquids of nearly those compositions. The hallmark of such rocks is the presence of minerals other than olivine among phenocrysts (plagioclase at Iceland, clinopyroxene at many oceanic islands), Fe- and Ti-rich chromian spinel (ankaramites, ferropicrites and meimichites), and in some cases the presence of iron-rich olivine (hortonolite ~Fo65 in ferropicrites), Ti-rich kaersutitic amphibole and even apatite (meimechites); the latter two derive from late-stage, hydrous and geochemically enriched metamorphic or alkalic assimilants. This type of mixing, however, does not necessarily involve depleted and enriched mixing components. To avoid such mixing, primitive melts have to rise primarily through upper mantle rocks of near-zero melt porosity in regions where crustal-level magma chambers and flanking rift zones do not have a chance to form. Low-magma supply is favored. In the ocean basins, such upper mantle mainlining occurs only at certain fracture zones, deep propagating rifts at microplates, or ultra-slow spreading ridges, but no liquids (glasses) with >10% MgO occur at any of these places. On continents, rift structures through cratons might allow this, but so far no picrite, ferropicrite, or meimichite that has been adequately described from these places lacks evidence for end-member mixing. Low-temperature iron-rich magmas can accumulate in the deep lower crust and later rise to form substantial intrusions (e.g. Skaergaard) or erupt as flood basalts (Columbia River). Some komatiites might represent high-temperature liquids, but many are so altered that original liquid compositions cannot be deduced (e.g., Gorgona). The hottest intraplate volcano is Kilauea, Hawaii, where rare picrite glass with 15% MgO has an estimated eruptive temperature (1) of ~1350C and a potential temperature at 1 GPa of ~1420C. Lavas at all other linear island chains, Iceland and even west Greenland where picrites are abundant, are cooler than this. (1) Beattie, P., 1993. CMP 115: 103-111.

Primitive Magnesian Andesites at Mt. Shasta, California: A Real Mix-up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barr, J. A.; Grove, T. L.; Carlson, R. W.; Krawczynski, M. J.

2009-12-01

Until recently, the only described occurrence of primitive magnesian andesite (PMA) at Mt. Shasta was a cinder-pit in the saddle between Whaleback and Deer Mtns. (Location S-17 of Anderson, 1974), north of the main edifice of the volcano. We have reinvestigated PMA occurrence and collected samples from other nearby vents and associated lava flows to provide better constraints on the magmatic processes that led to the formation of this important magma type. The petrology of the PMA samples from S-17 and the newly recognized PMA occurrences nearby, point to a mixing scenario, in which a PMA is the dominant component in the mixed magma. This stands in contrast to other suggestions in which the PMA is created by mixing melts that differ strongly in composition from the PMA. This idea is not new, and previous researchers (e.g. Grove et al., 2005) have shown that crustal-level fractionation products of PMA lavas are one of the major mixing components in the Mt. Shasta plumbing system. The addition of new samples of PMA indicate that the erupted magma was a multi-component mix of two primitive magmas, the PMA and a primitive basaltic andesite (BA) as well as a minor component of evolved andesite or dacite lava. Mineral compositional data, major and trace element systematics, and Sr, Nd and Re/Os isotopic data on the expanded PMA data set provides additional constraints on the mantle melting, crustal level fractional crystallization and magma mixing processing at work underneath Mt. Shasta. The compositional evidence from surrounding lava flows better constrains the composition of the PMA end member involved in the magma mixing at ~ 57.5 wt. % SiO2 at 10.5 wt. % MgO. Petrologic and isotopic data also firmly rule out the possibility suggested by Streck et al. (2007) that the Shasta PMA was formed by mixing an evolved Shasta dacite and Trinity peridotite.

Petrochemical evolution of the White Mfolozi Granite pluton: Evidence for a late Palaeoarchaean A-type granite from the SE Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, Saumitra; Reinhardt, Jürgen; Wilson, Allan H.

2017-08-01

One of the major limitations in understanding the geochemical evolution of the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa, is the scarcity of whole rock trace element data of the granitoid and other rocks compared to the vastness of this cratonic block. Here we present new XRF major oxide and ICP-MS trace element analyses of the White Mfolozi Granitoid (WMG) pluton, SE Kaapvaal Craton, which suggest that the 3.25 Ga (U-Pb zircon age) old WMG pluton is a peraluminous A-type granite and could be equivalent to the intrusive potassic granite phase of the Anhalt Granitoid suite, occurring to the North of the WMG pluton. The pluton was generated by batch partial melting of a pre-existing TTG source in two major phases under relatively anhydrous conditions, and the heat of partial melting could have been provided by a voluminous mantle-derived mafic magma, which intruded into mid-crustal levels (c. 17 km), perhaps during a period of crustal extension. The estimated pressure and temperature of generation of the WMG parent magma with average molar [or/(or + ab)] 0.48 could be 500 MPa and close to 1000 °C, respectively, when compared with the results of experimental petrology. Interstitial occurrence of relatively iron-rich biotite [Mg/(Mg + Fe) 0.41-0.45] suggests that the final temperature of crystallization of the pluton was close to 800 °C. An important magmatic event following the main phase of partial melting was limited mixing between the intrusive mafic magma and co-existing newly generated granitic melt. This magma mixing resulted in distinct variations in SiO2 and a low initial Sr isotopic ratio (0.7013) of the WMG pluton. Although both the models of partial melting of quartzo-feldspathic sources and fractional crystallization of basaltic magmas with or without crustal assimilation have been proposed for the origin of A-type granites, the model of magmatic evolution of the WMG pluton presented here can also be an alternative model for the generation of A-type granites. In this model, post-partial melting magma mixing is perhaps critical in explaining the Daly gap in composition and extreme variations in chemical (e.g., SiO2) and isotopic compositions observed in many bimodal A-type granite suites. The emplacement of the oldest known A-type granitoid suite in the Kaapvaal Craton, the WMG pluton, marks a period of stabilization of the craton before erosion and deposition of the overlying volcano-sedimentary succession of the Pongola Supergroup.

Archean Subduction or Not? The Archean Volcanic Record Re-assessed.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearce, Julian; Peate, David; Smithies, Hugh

2013-04-01

Methods of identification of volcanic arc lavas may utilize: (1) the selective enrichment of the mantle wedge by 'subduction-mobile' elements; (2) the distinctive preconditioning of mantle along its flow path to the arc front; (3) the distinctive combination of fluid-flux and decompression melting; and (4) the effects of fluids on crystallization of the resulting magma. It should then be a simple matter uniquely to recognise volcanic arc lavas in the Geological Record and so document past subduction zones. Essentially, this is generally true in the oceans, but generally not on the continents. Even in recent, fresh lavas and with a full battery of element and isotope tools at our disposal, there can be debate over whether an arc-like geochemical signature results from active subduction, an older, inherited subduction component in the lithosphere, or crustal contamination. In the Archean, metamorphism, deformation, a different thermal regime and potential non-uniformitarian tectonic scenarios make the fingerprinting of arc lavas particularly problematic. Not least, the complicating factor of crustal contamination is likely to be much greater given the higher magma and crustal temperatures and higher magma fluxes prevailing. Here, we apply new, high-resolution immobile element fingerprinting methods, based primarily on Th-Nb fractionation, to Archean lavas. In the Pilbara, for example, where there is a volcanic record extending for over >500 m.y., we note that lavas with high Th/Nb (negative Nb anomalies) are common throughout the lava sequence. Many older formations also follow a basalt-andesite-dacite-rhyolite (BADR) sequence resembling present-day arcs. However, back-extrapolation of their compositions to their primitive magmas demonstrates that these were almost certainly crustally-contaminated plume-derived lavas. By contrast, this is not the case in the uppermst part of the sequence where even the most primitive magmas have significant Nb anomalies. The magnitude of these anomalies is not sufficient to give an unambiguous result but the previously-proposed subduction origin carries the highest probability. If correct, Archean subduction in this case was likely a short-lived process, different from present day arcs in terms of melting and mantle flow processes, with a low r-value (subduction flux/mantle flux), not involving a high-temperature basaltic slab melt, and possibly not even involving oceanic lithosphere. The subsequent eruption of potassic lavas with high r-values is consistent with reactivation of a lithospheric subduction component in a post-subduction setting. Extending the methodology to published data for other parts of the Archean gives interpretations which best support models of episodic subduction in the form of short-lived, subduction-like events. We do not find good analogues of modern subduction processes in the Archean - the oldest that we can identify are at about 1900Ma in the Trans-Hudson Belt.

Interpretation of trace element and isotope features of basalts: relevance of field relations, petrology, major element data, phase equilibria, and magma chamber modeling in basalt petrogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Hara, M. J.; Herzberg, C.

2002-06-01

The concentrations and ratios of the major elements determine the physical properties and the phase equilibria behavior of peridotites and basalts in response to the changing energy contents of the systems. The behavior of the trace elements and isotopic features are influenced in their turn by the phase equilibria, by the physical character of the partial melting and partial crystallization processes, and by the way in which a magma interacts with its wall rocks. Concentrating on the trace element and isotope contents of basalts to the exclusion of the field relations, petrology, major element data, and phase equilibria is as improvident as slaughtering the buffalo for the sake of its tongue. The crust is a cool boundary layer and a density filter, which impedes the upward transfer of hot, dense "primary" picritic and komatiitic liquids. Planetary crusts are sites of large-scale contamination and extensive partial crystallization of primitive melts striving to escape to the surface. Escape of truly unmodified primitive melts to the surface is a rare event, requiring the resolution of daunting problems in chemical and mechanical engineering. Primary status for volumetrically abundant basalts such as mid-ocean ridge basalt, ocean island basalt, and continental flood basalts is denied by their low-pressure cotectic character, first remarked upon on petrological grounds in 1928 and on experimental grounds in 1962. These basalt liquids are products of crystal-liquid separation at low pressure. Primary status for these common basalts is further denied by the phase equilibria of such compositions at elevated pressures, when the required residual mantle mineralogy (magnesian olivine and orthopyroxene) is not stable at the liquidus. It is also denied by the picritic or komatiitic nature of partial melts of candidate upper-mantle compositions at high pressures - a conclusion supported by calculation of the melt composition, which would need to be extracted in order to explain the chemical variation between fertile and residual peridotite in natural ultramafic rock suites. The subtleties of magma chamber partial crystallization processes can produce an astounding array of "pseudospidergrams," a small selection of which have been explored here. Major modification of the trace element geochemistry and trace element ratios, even those of the highly incompatible elements, must always be entertained whenever the evidence suggests the possibility of partial crystallization. At one extreme, periodically recharged, periodically tapped magma chambers might undergo partial crystallization by ˜95% consolidation of a succession of small packets of the magma. Refluxing of the 5% residual melts from such a process into the main body of melt would lead to eventual discrimination between highly incompatible elements in that residual liquid comparable with that otherwise achieved by 0.1 to 0.3% liquid extraction in equilibrium partial melting. Great caution needs to be exercised in attempting the reconstruction of more primitive compositions by addition of troctolite, gabbro, and olivine to apparently primitive lava compositions. Special attention is focussed on the phase equilibria involving olivine, plagioclase (i.e., troctolite), and liquid because a high proportion of erupted basalts carry these two phases as phenocrysts, yet the equilibria are restricted to crustal pressures and are only encountered by wide ranges of basaltic compositions at pressures less than 0.5 GPa. The mere presence of plagioclase phenocrysts may be sufficient to disqualify candidate primitive magmas. Determination of the actual contributions of crustal processes to petrogenesis requires a return to detailed field, experimental, and forensic petrologic studies of individual erupted basalt flows; of a multitude of cumulate gabbros and their contacts; and of upper-mantle outcrops.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 with results from ab initio calculations. The density model has been applied to examine the mineral-melt buoyancy relations at depth and the implications of these results for the dynamics of magma chambers, crystal settling and the stability and mobility of magmas in the upper mantle will be discussed.

Some constraints on the thermal history of the lunar magma ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herbert, F.; Drake, M. J.; Sonett, C. P.; Wiskerchen, M. J.

1977-01-01

If the accumulating evidence is accepted that the outer portion of the moon was molten for 100-200 million years, it is clear that a permanent insulating surface layer existed over nearly all of that epoch. Considerations of crustal stability against break-up and foundering lead to the view that this insulating blanket must have been an early-forming plagioclase-rich layer light enough to float on the hot magma. It is found that radiometric age-dating evidence implies a fairly specific history for the solidification of the lunar magma ocean. The possibility is anticipated that geochronological and petrological constraints will be sufficient to narrow the range of allowed geophysical and geochemical models. It is hoped that such a study will make it possible to deduce the original depth, and hence, the composition of the lunar magma ocean. If the moon accreted homogeneously, the composition of the magma ocean will also be that of the whole moon, and hence such models should allow estimation of the bulk lunar composition.

Correlated Geophysical, Geochemical and Volcanological Manifestations of Plume-Ridge Interaction Along the Galápagos Spreading Center, 90.5-98° W

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinton, J. M.; Detrick, R. S.; Canales, J. P.; Ito, G.; Behn, M.; Blacic, T.; Cushman, B.; Dixon, J.

2001-12-01

As the Galápagos plume is approached from the west along the Galápagos Spreading Center there are systematic increases in crustal thickness, and K/Ti and H2O content of recovered lavas. These increases correlate with progressive transitions from axial deep to axial high morphology along with decreases in axial depth, residual mantle Bouguer gravity anomaly (MBA), average swell depth, average lava Mg # (atomic MgO/(MgO+FeO)), and the frequency of isolated axial seamounts. Although K/Ti, H2O and Nb/Zr (likely indicators of plume source enrichment) show step-wise increases across the 95.5° W propagating offset, trends in crustal thickness, axial bathymetry, MBA, swell depth, and seamount frequency generally show either no effect or only local perturbations to regional trends. East of ~92.7° W, sharp increases in K/Ti, Nb/Zr, H2O, and Na8 (Na2O corrected for fractionation to 8 wt % MgO) coincide with the transition to axial high morphology, a rapid shoaling of axial magma chamber (AMC) seismic reflectors, and thinning of seismic layer 2A. Maximum values in K/Ti (>0.4), Nb/Zr (>0.10), H2O (>1.0 wt %), Na8 ( ~3.2) and crustal thickness (7.9 km), and minima in axial depth (<1700 m), Mg # (<40), and Ca8/Al8 (<0.7) all occur between 91.25° W and 92° W, whereas the minimum MBA (-25 mGal) and AMC depth ( ~0.5 sec 2-way travel time) are found near 92.25° W. These general correlations can be modeled by the combined effects of changes in source composition and melt generation processes on the thickness, composition and structure of the oceanic crust. Key elements of this model include: (1) compensation of the swell is partitioned between crustal thickening (2.3 km) between 98° W and 90.5° W [Ito et al., this meeting] and thermal and compositional buoyancy of the mantle [Canales et al., this meeting]; (2) increased melt production near the hotspot is associated with lower mean extents of melting from a larger region of an increasingly hydrous, and other incompatible element-enriched mantle [Cushman et al., this meeting]; and (3) higher magma supply results in stabilization of axial magma chambers at increasingly shallow crustal depths [Blacic et al., this meeting] and the dominance of fissure-fed rather than point-source volcanism. The hotspot-related effect of increased magma supply on axial morphology, AMC depth and volcanic style along this intermediate-spreading ridge is similar to that between slow and faster spreading mid-ocean ridges.

The Transition from Volcanic to Rift Dominated Crustal Breakup - From the Vøring Plateau to the Lofoten Margin, Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breivik, A. J.; Faleide, J. I.; Mjelde, R.; Flueh, E.; Murai, Y.

2017-12-01

The Vøring Plateau was part of the Northeast Atlantic igneous province (NAIP) during early Cenozoic crustal breakup. Crustal breakup at the Vøring Plateau occurred marginal to the deep Cretaceous basins on the shelf, with less extension of the crust. Intrusive magmatism and oceanic crust up to three times normal thickness caused a period of sub-aerial magmatism around breakup time. The transition to the Lofoten Margin is rapid to a deep-water plain. Still, there is some excess magmatism north of this transition, where early oceanic crustal thickness is reduced to half of that of the Vøring Plateau 150 km away. Our estimates of the earliest seafloor spreading rates using new ship-track magnetic profiles on different margin segments offer a clue to what caused this rapid transition. While crustal breakup occurred within the magnetic polarity C24r in other parts of the NAIP, there is a delayed breakup for the Lofoten/Vesterålen margin. Modeling of the earliest seafloor spreading with geomagnetic reversals, indicate a breakup within C24n.3n (anomaly 24b), approximately 1 m.y. later. Both old wide-angle seismic models (from Ocean Bottom Seismometers) off southern Lofoten and a newly published profile farther north show a strongly extended outer margin. Applying early seafloor half-spreading rates ( 30 mm/y) from other NAIP margin segments for 1 m.y. can account for 30 km extra extension, giving a factor of three crustal thinning, and gives a high strain rate of 3.2 ·10-14. Crustal breakup at the magma-poor Iberian Margin occurred at a low strain rate of 4.4·10-15, allowing the ascending mantle to cool, favoring tectonic extension over magmatism. Similar strain rates are found within the main Ethiopian Rift, but there is much magmatism and crustal separation is dominated by dike injection. Mantle tomography models show an exceptionally low seismic velocity below the area interpreted as an unusually hot upper mantle, which will favor magmatism. The transition from the Vøring Plateau to the Lofoten Margin can therefore be explained by the presence/absence of hot mantle plume material under the different segments during rifting. Only after significant extension and close to crustal breakup time did a minor amount of plume material reach the Lofoten/Vesterålen margin to cause some elevated but short-lived excess magmatism there.

Crustal Thickness Beneath Libya and the Origin of Partial Melt Beneath AS Sawda Volcanic Province From Receiver Function Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemnifi, Awad A.; Elshaafi, Abdelsalam; Browning, John; Aouad, Nassib S.; El Ebaidi, Saad K.; Liu, Kelly K.; Gudmundsson, Agust

2017-12-01

This study investigates crustal thickness and properties within the Libyan region. Results obtained from 15 seismic stations belonging to the Libyan Center for Remote Sensing and Space Science are reported, in addition to 3 seismic stations publically available, using receiver functions. The results show crustal thicknesses ranging from 24 km to 36 km (with uncertainties ranging between ±0.10 km and ±0.90 km). More specifically, crustal thickness ranges from 32 km to 36 km in the southern portion of the Libyan territory then becomes thinner, between 24 km and 30 km, in the coastal areas of Libya and thinnest, between 24 km and 28 km, in the Sirt Basin. The observed high Vp/Vs value of 1.91 at one station located at the AS Sawda Volcanic Province in central Libya indicates the presence of either partial melt or an abnormally warm area. This finding suggests that magma reservoirs beneath the Libyan territory may still be partially molten and active, thereby posing significant earthquake and volcanic risks. The hypothesis of an active magma source is further demonstrated though the presence of asthenospheric upwelling and extension of the Sirt Basin. This study provides a new calculation of unconsolidated sediment layers by using the arrival time of the P to S converted phases. The results show sediments thicknesses of 0.4 km to 3.7 km, with the Vp/Vs values ranging from 2.2 to 4.8. The variations in crustal thickness throughout the region are correlated with surface elevation and Bouguer gravity anomalies, which suggest that they are isostatically compensated.

Seismicity During Continental Breakup in the Red Sea Rift of Northern Afar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illsley-Kemp, Finnigan; Keir, Derek; Bull, Jonathan M.; Gernon, Thomas M.; Ebinger, Cynthia; Ayele, Atalay; Hammond, James O. S.; Kendall, J.-Michael; Goitom, Berhe; Belachew, Manahloh

2018-03-01

Continental rifting is a fundamental component of plate tectonics. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of magmatic activity in accommodating extension during late-stage rifting, yet the mechanisms by which crustal thinning occurs are less clear. The Red Sea rift in Northern Afar presents an opportunity to study the final stages of continental rifting as these active processes are exposed subaerially. Between February 2011 and February 2013 two seismic networks were installed in Ethiopia and Eritrea. We locate 4,951 earthquakes, classify them by frequency content, and calculate 31 focal mechanisms. Results show that seismicity is focused at the rift axis and the western marginal graben. Rift axis seismicity accounts for ˜64% of the seismic moment release and exhibits a swarm-like behavior. In contrast, seismicity at the marginal graben is characterized by high-frequency earthquakes that occur at a constant rate. Results suggest that the rift axis remains the primary locus of seismicity. Low-frequency earthquakes, indicative of magmatic activity, highlight the presence of a magma complex ˜12 km beneath Alu-Dalafilla at the rift axis. Seismicity at the marginal graben predominantly occurs on westward dipping, antithetic faults. Focal mechanisms show that this seismicity is accommodating E-W extension. We suggest that the seismic activity at the marginal graben is either caused by upper crustal faulting accommodating enhanced crustal thinning beneath Northern Afar or as a result of flexural faulting between the rift and plateau. This seismicity is occurring in conjunction with magmatic extension at the rift axis, which accommodates the majority of long-term extension.

Thermal modelling of stepwise anatexis in a thrust-thickened sialic crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zen, E.-A.

1988-01-01

One-dimensional modelling of the thermal history of a sialic crust thickened by multiple overstack thrusting of upper crustal material shows that anatexis is likely. both the uplift rate and the length of the incubation period between end of tectonism and start of uplift are important controls on the amount and temperature of the melt. Heat of fusion does not significantly affect the long-term thermal structure of the crust if the melt is not extracted because only a small fraction of conductive heat is converted to latent heat, though short-term thermal effects of latent heat can be locally important. Model results show that commonly <15% of mantle heat flux is converted to latent heat; even during peak melting in the most productive models, less than half of incremental mantle flux is converted. The results have obvious implications on the acceptability of proposed heat sources for crustal anatexis. Fusion could retard crustal temperature rise by nearly 100??C, but the system would recover except for situations of very rapid uplift. Understanding of the thermal evolution of a burial-uplift system requires knowledge not only of the timing of anatexis but of the pooling and movement of the magma, as well as the duration and nature of the incubation period; we are poorly equipped to measure these events. The model predicts that the characteristic time for anatexis is a thickened sialic crust is several tens of millions of years, comparable to the time lapse between orogenies; in making geological interpretations of magmatism, this time lag must be considered. -Author

Crustal heterogeneity of the moon viewed from the Galileo SSI camera: Lunar sample calibrations and compositional implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pieters, Carle M.; Belton, M.; Becker, T.; Carr, M. H.; Chapmann, C.; Fanale, F. P.; Fischer, Erich M.; Gaddis, L.; Greeley, Ronald; Greenberg, R.

1991-01-01

Summaries are given of the spectral calibration, compositional parameters, nearside color, and limb and farside color of the Moon. The farside of the Moon, a large area of lunar crust, is dominated by heavily cratered terrain and basin deposits that represent the products of the first half billion years of crustal evolution. Continuing analysis of the returned lunar samples suggest a magma ocean and/or serial magmatism model for evolution of the primordial lunar crust. However, testing either hypothesis requires compositional information about the crustal stratigraphy and lateral heterogeneity. Resolution of this important planetary science issue is dependent on additional data. New Galileo multispectral images indicate previously unknown local and regional compositional diversity of the farside crust. Future analysis will focus on individual features and a more detailed assessment of crustal stratigraphy and heterogeneity.

Evaluation of the Lithospheric Contribution to Southern Rio Grande Rift Mafic Melts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konter, J. G.; Crocker, L.; Anaya, L. M.; Rooney, T. O.

2011-12-01

As continental rifting proceeds, the accommodation of lithospheric thinning by mechanical extension and magmatic intrusion represents an important but poorly constrained tectonic process. Insight into role of the magmatic component may come from the composition of volcanic products, which can record magma-lithosphere interactions. The volcanic activity in continental rift environments is frequently characterized by bimodal associations of mafic and silicic volcanism with heterogenous lithospheric contributions. We present a new integrated data set from several mafic volcanic fields in the Rio Grande Rift, consisting of major and trace element compositions, as well as isotopes. This data set provides insight into asthenospheric melting processes and interactions with the overlying lithosphere. The melting processes and the related extensional volcanism is the result of foundering of the Farallon slab. Large volume silicic eruptions such as those in the Sierra Madre Occidental originate from a large contribution of lithospheric melting, with a subordinate asthenospheric contribution. In contrast, Late Tertiary and Quaternary basaltic volcanic fields in the Rio Grande Rift were likely sourced in the asthenosphere and did not reside in the lithosphere for substantial periods. As a result the region is the ideal natural laboratory to investigate the interaction of asthenospheric melts with the lithosphere. In particular the wide array of volcanic fields contain multiple xenolith localities, such as Kilbourne Hole, providing direct samples of lithosphere and crust. Although previous studies have focused on correlations between amount of extension related to Farallon slab foundering, volcanic compositions, and their mantle sources, we present data that suggest that some compositional signatures may pre-date current tectonic processes. Radiogenic isotope data from several volcanic fields in New Mexico show a converging pattern in Pb isotope compositions, focusing on the unradiogenic Pb isotope composition of lower crustal xenoliths from Kilbourne Hole. The opposite ends of the converging trends are more radiogenic for some volcanic fields than the (lithospheric) mantle xenoliths of the Potrillo, San Carlos and Geranimo volcanic fields. Combined Pb-Sr isotope compositions for these fields are consistent with a trend from lower crustal xenoliths to mantle xenoliths, but show more variability. This variability may be explained by a small upper crustal contribution, in agreement with the Pb isotope systematics. Therefore, a common unradiogenic lower crustal composition likely contributed to the asthenospheric melts, followed by upper crustal contamination. The unradiogenic character of the lower crust implies an ancient event created the required low U/Pb ratios that generated the present-day Pb isotope compositions.

Sr-Nd-Pb isotope variability across and along the Ecuadorian volcanic arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancellin, Marie-Anne; Samaniego, Pablo; Vlastélic, Ivan; Nauret, François; Gannoun, Mouhcine; Hidalgo, Silvana

2016-04-01

Determining the contribution of different potential sources in arc magma genesis is of paramount importance for discriminating the role of deep-seated processes at work in the slab and mantle wedge, as well as the process occurring during the magma ascent through the arc crust. The Ecuadorian volcanic arc (2°S - 1°N) results from the subduction of the oceanic Nazca plate below the continental south-American plate. This volcanic province, developed in front of the subducting Carnegie ridge, is characterized by at least 50-60 volcanic centres of Pleistocene-Holocene age, which are distributed along the Western and Eastern Cordilleras and in the back-arc region. Previous studies on this province focused on two main issues: (1) the role of the deep-seated process occurring at the level of the subducting slab and the mantle wedge ([1], [2]), and (2) the role of crustal process ([3]). In this work, we use existing and new (57 samples from 36 volcanoes of the whole Ecuadorian arc) major-trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data to resolve precisely magma compositional changes occurring across and along the volcanic arc and to precise the role of the heterogeneous crust underlying this arc segment. In the 207Pb/204Pb vs. 206Pb/204Pb diagram, most of Western Cordillera volcanic centres and Back arc volcanoes display a flat trend characterized by a large variation in 206Pb/204Pb (18.5 - 19.15), with little variation in 207Pb/204Pb (15.54-15.62). Along this trend, back arc volcanoes tend towards unradiogenic compositions with Reventador as end-member whereas western cordilleras volcanoes generally show more radiogenic compositions (Pilavo, Imbabura). In contrast, the Eastern cordillera volcanoes display more radiogenic 207Pb/204Pb (15.60 - 15.70) or 208Pb/204Pb (38.7 - 39) at a given 206Pb/204Pb compared to the Western cordillera with similar variation in 206Pb/204Pb (18.85 - 19.05). Extreme compositions are observed at Tungurahua and Antisana volcanoes. Several volcanoes of the 2 cordilleras and of the inter-andean valley plot at the junction of the two trends. These new data confirm previous observations made with the trace element and Sr-Nd systematics that suggested marked differences between the two cordilleras ([1], [3], [4]), and allow us to go forward distinguishing the back-arc. In addition, we are able to test the influence of Carnegie ridge on magma geochemistry, which is still debated. Altogether, Sr-Nd-Pb isotope variations require three different magmatic sources: (1) an unradiogenic component, represented by back-arc magmas, which may correspond to the mantle source; (2) an upper crustal radiogenic component, expressed in Eastern cordillera magmas and (3) a third component (low 87Sr/86Sr, radiogenic Nd-Pb isotopes), represented by some Western Cordillera magmas, which could either be an unradiogenic, immature oceanic basement or a slab influence. [1] Hidalgo et al., Lithos 132-133 (2012), 180-192 [2] Samaniego et al., Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 160 (2010), 239-260 [3] Chiaradia et al., Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 158 (2009), 563-588 [4] Schiano et al., Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 160 (2010), 297-312

The role of amphibole in Merapi arc magma petrogenesis: insights from petrology and geochemistry of lava hosted xenoliths and xenocrysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chadwick, J. P.; Troll, V. R.; Schulz, B.; Dallai, L.; Freda, C.; Schwarzkopf, L. M.; Annersten, H.; Skogby, H.

2010-05-01

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the role of amphibole in the differentiation of arc magmas. The geochemical composition of these magmas suggests that deep to mid crustal fractionation of amphibole has occurred. However, this phase is typically an infrequent modal phenocryst phase in subduction zone eruptive deposits(1). Nevertheless, erupted material only represents a portion of the magmatism produced in subduction zone settings, with many opportunities for melts to stall on route to the surface. This discrepancy between whole rock geochemistry and petrological interpretation of arc magmas has lead many scientists to postulate that, at mid to deep crustal levels, there may be significant volumes of amphibole bearing lithologies. Amphibole instability at shallow levels can also contribute to its scarcity in eruptive deposits. This argument is strengthened by field and petrological evidence, including the widespread occurrence of amphibole-rich intrusive rocks in exhumed orogenicbelts formed during subduction zone activity, e.g. the Adamello batholith (2),as well as the presence of amphibole-rich xenoliths and xenocrysts preserved in arc lavas worldwide, e.g. in Indonesia, Antilles, and Central America. Thus, amphibole appears to play an integral role in subduction zone magmatism and identifying and constraining this role is central to understanding arc magma petrogenisis. Amphibole-rich melts or bodies in the deep to mid crust could be a significant hydrous reservoir for intra-crustal melts and fluids (1). In this preliminary study, we have carried out petrological and geochemical analyses of recent basaltic andesite and amphibole bearing crystalline igneous inclusions and xenocrysts from Merapi volcano in Java, Indonesia. The basaltic andesite geochemistry is consistent with amphibole fractionation and the crystalline inclusions are cogenetic to the Merapi magmatic system. These inclusions are likely to represent fractionation residues reflecting deep- to mid-crustal processes given the stability field of amphibole. The individual amphibole xenocrysts are also co-genetic to the Merapi magma system and indicative of high-pressure crystallisation. Hydrogen isotope analyses of these large amphibole megacrysts, record a broad range of dD ratios (permil deviation of D/H isotope ratio from Standard Mean Ocean Water). The dD values of some of these crystals appear to be modified significantly from expected primary compositions, particularly towards the rims of amphiboles showing breakdown textures. The measured dD values possibly result from H-isotope re-equilibration with surrounding volatile vapour during eruption or via dehydration reactions. Mossbauer analysis of a selected pristine amphibole megacryst from this suite records 67 % of iron as Fe3+ in the M-sites. Complementary IR spectroscopy of this amphibole indicates no serious loss of OH groups. High H2O pressures at formation depth for this crystal have stabilized full hydrous compositions at ~ 2% H2O concentration in the amphibole. Such fully hydrated amphiboles could release their H2O on depressurisation on ascent prior to eruption, a process that consistent with the dD data. Analysis of these samples is ongoing, however this initial data indicates that amphibole is a key phase in Merapi magmatic evolution and is a likely source of volatiles through dehydration on ascent. This is of particular significance given the fact that water content of magma has a considerable impact on the explosive potential of subduction zone volcanism. (1) Davidson et al., 2007. Geology, 35: 787-790. (2) Tiepolo et al., 2002 Contrib. Min. Pet., 144:1-15.

The May 2003 eruption of Anatahan volcano, Mariana Islands: Geochemical evolution of a silicic island-arc volcano

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wade, J.A.; Plank, T.; Stern, R.J.; Tollstrup, D.L.; Gill, J.B.; O'Leary, J. C.; Eiler, J.M.; Moore, R.B.; Woodhead, J.D.; Trusdell, F.; Fischer, T.P.; Hilton, David R.

2005-01-01

The first historical eruption of Anatahan volcano began on May 10, 2003. Samples of tephra from early in the eruption were analyzed for major and trace elements, and Sr, Nd, Pb, Hf, and O isotopic compositions. The compositions of these tephras are compared with those of prehistoric samples of basalt and andesite, also newly reported here. The May 2003 eruptives are medium-K andesites with 59-63 wt.% SiO2, and are otherwise homogeneous (varying less than 3% 2?? about the mean for 45 elements). Small, but systematic, chemical differences exist between dark (scoria) and light (pumice) fragments, which indicate fewer mafic and oxide phenocrysts in, and less degassing for, the pumice than scoria. The May 2003 magmas are nearly identical to other prehistoric eruptives from Anatahan. Nonetheless, Anatahan has erupted a wide range of compositions in the past, from basalt to dacite (49-66 wt.% SiO2). The large proportion of lavas with silicic compositions at Anatahan (> 59 wt.% SiO2) is unique within the active Mariana Islands, which otherwise erupt a narrow range of basalts and basaltic andesites. The silicic compositions raise the question of whether they formed via crystal fractionation or crustal assimilation. The lack of 87Sr/86Sr variation with silica content, the MORB-like ??18O, and the incompatible behavior of Zr rule out assimilation of old crust, altered crust, or zircon-saturated crustal melts, respectively. Instead, the constancy of isotopic and trace element ratios, and the systematic variations in REE patterns are consistent with evolution by crystal fractionation of similar parental magmas. Thus, Anatahan is a type example of an island-arc volcano that erupts comagmatic basalts to dacites, with no evidence for crustal assimilation. The parental magmas to Anatahan lie at the low 143Nd/144Nd, Ba/La, and Sm/La end of the spectrum of magmas erupted in the Marianas arc, consistent with 1-3 wt.% addition of subducted sediment to the mantle source, or roughly one third of the sedimentary column. The high Th/La in Anatahan magmas is consistent with shallow loss of the top 50 m of the sedimentary column during subduction. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Petrological and experimental evidence for differentiation of water-rich magmas beneath St. Kitts, Lesser Antilles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melekhova, Elena; Blundy, Jon; Martin, Rita; Arculus, Richard; Pichavant, Michel

2017-12-01

St. Kitts lies in the northern Lesser Antilles, a subduction-related intraoceanic volcanic arc known for its magmatic diversity and unusually abundant cognate xenoliths. We combine the geochemistry of xenoliths, melt inclusions and lavas with high pressure-temperature experiments to explore magma differentiation processes beneath St. Kitts. Lavas range from basalt to rhyolite, with predominant andesites and basaltic andesites. Xenoliths, dominated by calcic plagioclase and amphibole, typically in reaction relationship with pyroxenes and olivine, can be divided into plutonic and cumulate varieties based on mineral textures and compositions. Cumulate varieties, formed primarily by the accumulation of liquidus phases, comprise ensembles that represent instantaneous solid compositions from one or more magma batches; plutonic varieties have mineralogy and textures consistent with protracted solidification of magmatic mush. Mineral chemistry in lavas and xenoliths is subtly different. For example, plagioclase with unusually high anorthite content (An≤100) occurs in some plutonic xenoliths, whereas the most calcic plagioclase in cumulate xenoliths and lavas are An97 and An95, respectively. Fluid-saturated, equilibrium crystallisation experiments were performed on a St. Kitts basaltic andesite, with three different fluid compositions ( XH2O = 1.0, 0.66 and 0.33) at 2.4 kbar, 950-1025 °C, and fO2 = NNO - 0.6 to NNO + 1.2 log units. Experiments reproduce lava liquid lines of descent and many xenolith assemblages, but fail to match xenolith and lava phenocryst mineral compositions, notably the very An-rich plagioclase. The strong positive correlation between experimentally determined plagioclase-melt KdCa-Na and dissolved H2O in the melt, together with the occurrence of Al-rich mafic lavas, suggests that parental magmas were water-rich (> 9 wt% H2O) basaltic andesites that crystallised over a wide pressure range (1.5-6 kbar). Comparison of experimental and natural (lava, xenolith) mafic mineral composition reveals that whereas olivine in lavas is predominantly primocrysts precipitated at low-pressure, pyroxenes and spinel are predominantly xenocrysts formed by disaggregation of plutonic mushes. Overall, St. Kitts xenoliths and lavas testify to mid-crustal differentiation of low-MgO basalt and basaltic andesite magmas within a trans-crustal, magmatic mush system. Lower crustal ultramafic cumulates that relate parental low-MgO basalts to primary, mantle -derived melts are absent on St. Kitts.

Iron Isotope Fractionation in the Bushveld Igneous Complex Provide Insight into Fractional Crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rios, K. L.; Feineman, M. D.; Bybee, G. M.

2016-12-01

Dated at 2.056 Ga and encompassing an estimated 65,000 km2 in surface area and 650,000 km3 in volume the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa contains the largest and most unique layered mafic intrusion in the world. It contains 80-90% of the world's minable platinum group elements. Scientists are interested in understanding the origin of this intrusion due to its massive size, unique assemblage of minerals, and strongly zoned stratigraphy. Iron isotopes may help us to understand the roles of partial mantle melting and fractional crystallization in magma genesis and differentiation. For example, it may be possible to determine what role fractional crystallization of oxides and sulfides played in the formation of the Rustenburg Layered Suite (RLS) by comparing δ56Fe in samples from the Lower, Critical, Main and Upper Zones. The use of MC-ICPMS has made it more routine to study the fractionation of stable iron isotopes in natural systems; however, this technique has only been applied in a few studies of the RLS, mostly restricted to the Upper Main and Upper Zones. In this study δ56Fe was determined in Upper Zone magnetite, Critical Zone chromitite and Critical Zone sulfides using MC-ICP-MS. Previous research has shown that early crystallizing mafic phases incorporate the lighter 54Fe isotope leaving a residual magma with a higher δ56Fe value. Therefore, if the Upper Zone magma represents a high-degree differentiate of the parental Bushveld magma, then magmas from the Upper Zone would be expected to have a higher δ56Fe than magmas contributing to the Lower, Critical and Main Zones. The results of this experiment were indeed consistent with this hypothesis. The δ56Fe values recorded for the three sample types were: magnetite 0.19 ±0.03‰; sulfides -0.45 ±0.03‰ to -0.81 ±0.03‰; and chromitite 0.03 ±0.05‰. The sulfides of the Critical Zone are isotopically lighter than would be predicted based on equilibrium sulfide-melt fractionation, if the parental melt of the Critical Zone were in equilibrium with previously published whole rock data for Upper Zone. This is consistent with interpretations of the Upper Zone as a high degree differentiate of the Bushveld Parental Magma.

Origin of peralkaline granites of Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radain, A. A. M.; Fyfe, W. S.; Kerrich, R.

1982-01-01

Small volumes of peralkaline granites were generated as the final phase of a Pan African calc-alkaline igneous event which built the Arabian Peninsula. The peralkaline granites are closely associated with trends or sutures related to ophiolites. Peralkaline rocks are chemically heterogeneous, with anomalous abundances of Zr (average 2,150 ppm±2,600 1σ), Y (200±190), and Nb (105±100), representing up to ten-fold enrichments of these elements relative to abundances in calc alkaline granite counterparts. Large enrichments of some rare earth elements and fluorine are also present. The peralkaline granites have scattered whole rock 18O values, averaging 8.7±0.6% in the Hadb Aldyaheen Complex and 10.7±1% in the Jabal Sayid Complex. Quartz-albite fractionations of 0.5 to 1.5% signify that the heavier whole rock δ-values probably represent the oxygen isotope composition of the peralkaline magma. Small variable enrichments of 18O, in conjunction with slightly elevated 87Sr/86Sr initial ratios relative to broadly contemporaneous calc alkaline granites, are both suggestive of a small degree of involvement of crustal, or crustal derived material in the peralkaline magmas. It is proposed that the peculiar magma genesis is associated with a relaxation event which followed continental collision and underthrusting of salt rich sediments.

Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field magmatism in the context of the Jemez Lineament

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrader, C. M.; Pontbriand, A.

2013-12-01

The Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field (RCVF) was active from 9 Ma to approximately 50 Ka and stretches from Raton, New Mexico in the west to Clayton, New Mexico in the east. The field occurs in the Great Plains at the northeastern end of the Jemez Lineament, a major crustal feature and focus of volcanism that extends southwest to the Colorado Plateau in Arizona and encompasses five other major volcanic fields. Jemez Lineament magmatism is temporally related to Rio Grande Rift magmatism, though it extends NE and SW from the rift itself, and it has been suggested that it represents an ancient crustal suture that serves as a conduit for magmatism occurring beneath the larger region of north and central New Mexico (Magnani et al., 2004, GEOL SOC AM BULL, 116:7/8, pp. 1-6). This study extends our work into the RCVF from prior and ongoing work in the Mount Taylor Volcanic Field, where we identified different mantle sources with varying degrees of subduction alteration and we determined some of the crustal processes that contribute to the diversity of magma chemistry and eruptive styles there (e.g., AGU Fall Meeting, abst. #V43D-2884 and #V43D-2883). In the RCVF, we are analyzing multiple phases by electron microprobe and plagioclase phenocrysts and glomerocrysts by LA-ICPMS for Sr isotopes and trace elements. We are undertaking this investigation with the following goals: (1) to evaluate previous magma mixing and crustal assimilation models for Sierra Grande andesites (Zhu, 1995, unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Rice University; Hesse, 1999, unpublished M.S. thesis, Northern Arizona University); (2) to evaluate subduction-modified mantle as the source for RCVF basanites (specifically those at Little Grande); and (3) to assess the possible role of deep crustal cumulates in buffering transitional basalts. In the larger context, these data will be used to evaluate the varying degree of subduction-modification and the effect of crustal thickness on magmatism along the Jemez Lineament.

Topography of closed depressions, scarps, and grabens in the North Tharsis region of Mars: implications for shallow crustal discontinuities and graben formation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Philip A.; Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Golombek, Matthew P.

1995-01-01

Using Viking Orbiter images, detailed photoclinometric profiles were obtained across 10 irregular depressions, 32 fretted fractures, 49 troughs and pits, 124 solitary scarps, and 370 simple grabens in the north Tharsis region of Mars. These data allow inferences to be made on the shallow crustal structure of this region. The frequency modes of measured scarp heights correspond with previous general thickness estimates of the heavily cratered and ridged plains units. The depths of the flat-floored irregular depressions (55-175 m), fretted fractures (85-890 m), and troughs and pits (60-1620 m) are also similar to scarp heights (thicknesses) of the geologic units in which these depressions occur, which suggests that the depths of these flat-floored features were controlled by erosional base levels created by lithologic contacts. Although the features have a similar age, both their depths and their observed local structural control increase in the order listed above, which suggests that the more advanced stages of associated fracturing facilitated the development of these depressions by increasing permeability. If a ground-ice zone is a factor in development of these features, as has been suggested, our observation that the depths of these features decrease with increasing latitude suggests that either the thickness of the ground-ice zone does not increase poleward or the depths of the depressions were controlled by the top of the ground-ice zone whose depth may decrease with latitude. Deeper discontinuities are inferred from fault-intersection depths of 370 simple grabens (assuming 60° dipping faults that initiate at a mechanical discontinuity) in Tempe Terra and Alba Patera and from the depths of the large, flat-floored troughs in Tempe Terra. The frequency distributions of these fault-intersection and large trough depths show a concentration at 1.0-1.6 km depth, similar to data obtained for Syria, Sinai, and Lunae Plana. The consistency of these depth data over such a large region of western Mars suggests that a discontinuity or a process that transcends local and regional geology is responsible for the formation of these features. If this discontinuity is represented by the base of the cryosphere, its uniform depth over 55° of latitude suggests that the cryosphere did not thicken poleward. Alternatively, the concentration of depths at 1.0-1.6 km may represent the upper level of noneruptive dike ascent (lateral dike propagation) of Mars, which is controlled by gravity and atmospheric pressure and magma and country-rock characteristics, and was probably controlled, in part, by ground ice. Fault-intersection depths in the north Tharsis region locally extend down to a depth of 5-7 km. The depth data between 2 and 3 km are attributed to the discontinuity at the interface of megaregolith and basement or to the upper limit of noneruptive dike ascent of magma with a high volatile content. Intersection depths greater than 3 km, which were found at Alba Patera, may be due to the megaregolith-basement discontinuity, which was buried and depressed by volcanic loading, or to the upper level of noneruptive dike ascent of magma with a low volatile content. The near absence of narrow simple grabens with fault-initiation depths less than 0.6-1.0 km in this study area, as well as in most of western Mars, suggests that this depth represents the minimum depth that normal faults can initiate; at shallower depths tension cracks or joints would form instead. This hypothesis is supported by the application of the Griffith failure criterion to this minimum depth of normal fault initiation, which suggests that shallow crustal materials have a tensile strength of 2-4 MPa throughout most of western Mars, in close agreement with previous estimates of tensile strength of martian basaltic rock.

Tectonic events, continental intraplate volcanism, and mantle plume activity in northern Arabia: Constraints from geochemistry and Ar-Ar dating of Syrian lavas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krienitz, M.-S.; Haase, K. M.; Mezger, K.; van den Bogaard, P.; Thiemann, V.; Shaikh-Mashail, M. A.

2009-04-01

New 40Ar/39Ar ages combined with chemical and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope data for volcanic rocks from Syria along with published data of Syrian and Arabian lavas constrain the spatiotemporal evolution of volcanism, melting regime, and magmatic sources contributing to the volcanic activity in northern Arabia. Several volcanic phases occurred in different parts of Syria in the last 20 Ma that partly correlate with different tectonic events like displacements along the Dead Sea Fault system or slab break-off beneath the Bitlis suture zone, although the large volume of magmas and their composition suggest that hot mantle material caused volcanism. Low Ce/Pb (<20), Nb/Th (<10), and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope variations of Syrian lavas indicate the role of crustal contamination in magma genesis, and contamination of magmas with up to 30% of continental crustal material can explain their 87Sr/86Sr. Fractionation-corrected major element compositions and REE ratios of uncontaminated lavas suggest a pressure-controlled melting regime in western Arabia that varies from shallow and high-degree melt formation in the south to increasingly deeper regions and lower extents of the beginning melting process northward. Temperature estimates of calculated primary, crustally uncontaminated Arabian lavas indicate their formation at elevated mantle temperatures (Texcess ˜ 100-200°C) being characteristic for their generation in a plume mantle region. The Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope systematic of crustally uncontaminated Syrian lavas reveal a sublithospheric and a mantle plume source involvement in their formation, whereas a (hydrous) lithospheric origin of lavas can be excluded on the basis of negative correlations between Ba/La and K/La. The characteristically high 206Pb/204Pb (˜19.5) of the mantle plume source can be explained by material entrainment associated with the Afar mantle plume. The Syrian volcanic rocks are generally younger than lavas from the southern Afro-Arabian region, indicating a northward progression of the commencing volcanism since the arrival of the Afar mantle plume beneath Ethiopia/Djibouti some 30 Ma ago. The distribution of crustally uncontaminated high 206Pb/204Pb lavas in Arabia indicates a spatial influence of the Afar plume of ˜2600 km in northward direction with an estimated flow velocity of plume material on the order of 22 cm/a.

Viscoelastic crustal deformation by magmatic intrusion: A case study in the Kutcharo caldera, eastern Hokkaido, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamasaki, Tadashi; Kobayashi, Tomokazu; Wright, Tim J.; Fukahata, Yukitoshi

2018-01-01

Geodetic signals observed at volcanoes, particularly their temporal patterns, have required us to make the correlation between the surface displacement and magmatic process at depth in terms of viscoelastic crustal rheology. Here we use a parallelized 3-D finite element model to examine the response of the linear Maxwell viscoelastic crust and mantle to the inflation of a sill in order to show the characteristics of a long-term volcano deformation. In the model, an oblate-spheroidal sill is instantaneously or gradually inflated in a two-layered medium that consists of an elastic layer underlain by a viscoelastic layer. Our numerical experiments show that syn-inflation surface uplift is followed by post-inflation surface subsidence as the viscoelastic substrate relaxes. For gradual inflation events, the magnitude of inflation-induced uplift is reduced by the relaxation, through which the volume of a magma inferred by matching the prediction of an elastic model with observed surface uplift could be underestimated. For a given crustal viscosity, sill depth is the principal factor controlling subsidence caused by viscoelastic relaxation. The subsidence rate is highest when the inflation occurs at the boundary between the elastic and the viscoelastic layers. The mantle viscosity has an insignificant impact unless the depth of the inflation is greater than a half the crustal thickness. We apply the viscoelastic model to the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data in the Kutcharo caldera, eastern Hokkaido, Japan, where the surface has slowly subsided over a period of approximately three years following about a two-year period of inflation. The emplacement of a magmatic sill is constrained to occur at a depth of 4.5 km, which is significantly shallower than the geophysically imaged large-scale magma chamber. The geodetically detected deformation in the caldera reflects the small-scale emplacement of a magma that ascended from the deeper chamber, but not the inflation of the chamber itself. The observed ground displacement is controlled by a lower-crustal viscosity of 4 × 1017 Pa s, which is lower than that inferred from some studies of post-seismic deformation, perhaps due to higher temperatures beneath the active caldera. Our results suggest that geodetic signals observed during and following magmatic intrusions need to be revisited. Uzs‧ is the uplift at t‧ = Δt‧ for models with Δt‧ > 0.

Crustal accretion along the global mid-ocean ridge system based on basaltic glass and olivine-hosted melt inclusion compositions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of the eastern Gulf of Aden conjugate passive margins: Narrowness and asymmetry in oblique rifting context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nonn, Chloé; Leroy, Sylvie; Khanbari, Khaled; Ahmed, Abdulhakim

2017-11-01

Here, we focus on the yet unexplored eastern Gulf of Aden, on Socotra Island (Yemen), Southeastern Oman and offshore conjugate passive margins between the Socotra-Hadbeen (SHFZ) and the eastern Gulf of Aden fracture zones. Our interpretation leads to onshore-offshore stratigraphic correlation between the passive margins. We present a new map reflecting the boundaries between the crustal domains (proximal, necking, hyper-extended, exhumed mantle, proto-oceanic and oceanic domains) and structures using bathymetry, magnetic surveys and seismic reflection data. The most striking result is that the magma-poor conjugate margins exhibit asymmetrical architecture since the thinning phase (Upper Rupelian-Burdigalian). Their necking domains are sharp ( 40-10 km wide) and their hyper-extended domains are narrow and asymmetric ( 10-40 km wide on the Socotra margin and 50-80 km wide on the Omani margin). We suggest that this asymmetry is related to the migration of the rift center producing significant lower crustal flow and sequential faulting in the hyper-extended domain. Throughout the Oligo-Miocene rifting, far-field forces dominate and the deformation is accommodated along EW to N110°E northward-dipping low angle normal faults. Convection in the mantle near the SHFZ may be responsible of change in fault dip polarity in the Omani hyper-extended domain. We show the existence of a northward-dipping detachment fault formed at the beginning of the exhumation phase (Burdigalien). It separates the northern upper plate (Oman) from southern lower plate (Socotra Island) and may have generated rift-induced decompression melting and volcanism affecting the upper plate. We highlight multiple generations of detachment faults exhuming serpentinized subcontinental mantle in the ocean-continent transition. Associated to significant decompression melting, final detachment fault may have triggered the formation of a proto-oceanic crust at 17.6 Ma and induced late volcanism up to 10 Ma. Finally, the setting up of a steady-state oceanic spreading center occurs at 17 Ma.

Effects of interaction between ultramafic tectonite and mafic magma on Nd-Pb-Sr isotopic systems in the Neoproterozoic Chaya Massif, Baikal-Muya ophiolite belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amelin, Yuri V.; Ritsk, Eugeni Yu.; Neymark, Leonid A.

1997-04-01

Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr and U-Pb isotopic systems have been studied in minerals and whole rocks of harzburgites and mafic cumulates from the Chaya Massif, Baikal-Muya ophiolite belt, eastern Siberia, in order to determine the relationship between mantle ultramafic and crustal mafic sections. Geological relations in the Chaya Massif indicate that the mafic magmas were emplaced into, and interacted with older solid peridotite. Hand picked, acid-leached, primary rock-forming and accessory minerals (olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and plagioclase) from the two harzburgite samples show coherent behavior and yield 147Sm/ 144Nd- 143Nd/ 144Nd and 238U/ 204Pb- 206Pb/ 204Pb mineral isochrons, corresponding to ages of 640 ± 58 Ma (95% confidence level) and 620 ± 71 Ma, respectively. These values are indistinguishable from the crystallization age of the Chaya mafic units of 627 ± 25 Ma (a weighted average of internal isochron Sm-Nd ages of four mafic cumulates). The Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic systems in the harzburgite whole-rock samples were disturbed by hydrothermal alteration. These alteration-related isotopic shifts mimic the trend of variations in primary isotopic compositions in the mafic sequence, thus emphasizing that isotopic data for ultramafic rocks should be interpreted with great caution. On the basis of initial Sr and Nd values, ultramafic and mafic rocks of the Chaya Massif can be divided into two groups: (1) harzburgites and the lower mafic unit gabbronorites withɛ Nd = +6.6 to +7.1 andɛ Sr = -11 to -16; and (2) websterite of the lower unit and gabbronorites of the upper mafic unit:ɛ Nd = +4.6 to +6.1 andɛ Sr = -8 to -9. Initial Pb isotopic ratios are identical in all rocks studied, with mean values of 206Pb/ 204Pb= 16.994 ± 0.023 and 207Pb/ 204Pb= 15.363 ± 0.015. The similarity of ages and initial isotopic ratios within the first group indicates that the isotopic systems in the pre-existing depleted peridotite were reset by extensive interaction with basaltic magma during formation of the mafic crustal sequence. The isotopic data agree with a hypothesized formation of the Chaya Massif in a suprasubduction-zone environment.

Effects of interaction between ultramafic tectonite and mafic magma on Nd-Pb-Sr isotopic systems in the Neoproterozoic Chaya Massif, Baikal-Muya ophiolite belt

USGS Publications Warehouse

Amelin, Y.V.; Ritsk, E. Yu; Neymark, L.A.

1997-01-01

Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr and U-Pb isotopic systems have been studied in minerals and whole rocks of harzburgites and mafic cumulates from the Chaya Massif, Baikal-Muya ophiolite belt, eastern Siberia, in order to determine the relationship between mantle ultramafic and crustal mafic sections. Geological relations in the Chaya Massif indicate that the mafic magmas were emplaced into, and interacted with older solid peridotite. Hand picked, acid-leached, primary rock-forming and accessory minerals (olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and plagioclase) from the two harzburgite samples show coherent behavior and yield 147Sm/144Nd- 143Nd/144Nd and 238U/204Pb-206Pb/204Pb mineral isochrons, corresponding to ages of 640 ?? 58 Ma (95% confidence level) and 620 ?? 71 Ma, respectively. These values are indistinguishable from the crystallization age of the Chaya mafic units of 627 ?? 25 Ma (a weighted average of internal isochron Sm-Nd ages of four mafic cumulates). The Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic systems in the harzburgite whole-rock samples were disturbed by hydrothermal alteration. These alteration-related isotopic shifts mimic the trend of variations in primary isotopic compositions in the mafic sequence, thus emphasizing that isotopic data for ultramafic rocks should be interpreted with great caution. On the basis of initial Sr and Nd values, ultramafic and mafic rocks of the Chaya Massif can be divided into two groups: (1) harzburgites and the lower mafic unit gabbronorites with ??Nd = +6.6 to +7.1 and ??Sr = -11 to -16; and (2) websterite of the lower unit and gabbronorites of the upper mafic unit: ??Nd = + 4.6 to + 6.1 and ??Sr = - 8 to -9. Initial Pb isotopic ratios are identical in all rocks studied, with mean values of 206Pb/204Pb = 16.994 ?? 0.023 and 207Pb/204Pb = 15.363 ?? 0.015. The similarity of ages and initial isotopic ratios within the first group indicates that the isotopic systems in the pre-existing depleted peridotite were reset by extensive interaction with basaltic magma during formation of the mafic crustal sequence. The isotopic data agree with a hypothesized formation of the Chaya Massif in a suprasubduction-zone environment.

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinton, John M.

This volume is an outgrowth of IUGG Union Symposium 9 held during the 1987 IUGG General Assembly at Vancouver, Canada. This symposium, jointly sponsored by IAVCEI, IASPEI, ICL and IAGA, consisted of 31 presentations ranging in subject matter from melt segregation and melt focusing processes beneath mid-ocean ridges, to the structures of oceanic crust and ophiolite analogues, morphological variations in the accretion process, the structural evolution of specific spreading ridge systems, the interplay between magmatism and rifting, and the chemical and thermal balances involved in mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems. Six of those papers have been expanded in the present volume. These papers constitute several important advances in our understanding of the evolution of mid-ocean ridge systems. The recognition that transverse seismic anisotropy is an important characteristic of oceanic layer 2 (Fryer et al.) has profound implications for interpretations of crustal thicknesses based on seismic data, and appears to explain a longstanding enigma of marine seismology: the apparent thinning of upper crustal layers with age. An analysis of magnetic anomaly data and transform fault azimuths across the boundaries of the Pacific, Easter and Nazca plates (Naar and Hey) has resulted in the calculation of new, instantaneous plate motion models for a significant portion of the south Pacific plate boundaries, in addition to providing important constraints on the recent evolution of the Easter Microplate. A new kinematic model for the evolution of the Gorda Rise (Stoddard) reproduces the complex magnetic lineations of that area, and includes models for the generation of the President Jackson seamount chain. Phase equilibria are used to constrain the nature of magmas parental to differentiated lavas of Icelandic rift zones (Thy); these magmas contrast significantly with those for several other spreading ridges, with implications for the melting regimes operating there. The final two papers are devoted to evaluations of the accretion process over relatively short time intervals. The use of bottom observations at Axial Seamount on the Juan de Fuca Ridge has allowed Zonenshain et al. to decipher the volcanic, tectonic and hydrothermal history of this area over the last 60,000 years. An even finer scale view of the accretion process is provided by Jacoby et al., in their assessment of the implications of geophysical and geodetic data for magma movement in the Krafla Rift Zone, Iceland since 1975.

Magma-sponge hypothesis and stratovolcanoes: Case for a compressible reservoir and quasi-steady deep influx at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voight, Barry; Widiwijayanti, Christina; Mattioli, Glen; Elsworth, Derek; Hidayat, Dannie; Strutt, M.

2010-02-01

We use well-documented time histories of episodic GPS surface deformation and efflux of compressible magma to resolve apparent magma budget anomalies at Soufrière Hills volcano (SHV) on Montserrat, WI. We focus on data from 2003 to 2007, for an inflation succeeded by an episode of eruption-plus-deflation. We examine Mogi-type and vertical prolate ellipsoidal chamber geometries to accommodate both mineralogical constraints indicating a relatively shallow pre-eruption storage, and geodetic constraints inferring a deeper mean-pressure source. An exsolved phase involving several gas species greatly increases andesite magma compressibility to depths >10 km (i.e., for water content >4 wt%, crystallinity ˜40%), and this property supports the concept that much of the magma transferred into or out of the crustal reservoir could be accommodated by compression or decompression of stored reservoir magma (i.e., the “magma-sponge”). Our results suggest quasi-steady deep, mainly mafic magma influx of the order of 2 m3s-1, and we conclude that magma released in eruptive episodes is approximately balanced by cumulative deep influx during the eruptive episode and the preceding inflation. Our magma-sponge model predicts that between 2003 and 2007 there was no evident depletion of magma reservoir volume at SHV, which comprises tens of km3 with radial dimensions of order ˜1-2 km, in turn implying a long-lived eruption.

Zircon evidence for incorporation of terrigenous sediments into the magma source of continental basalts.

PubMed

Xu, Zheng; Zheng, Yong-Fei; Zhao, Zi-Fu

2018-01-09

Crustal components may be incorporated into continental basalts by either shallow contamination or deep mixing. While the former proceeds at crustal depths with common preservation of refractory minerals, the latter occurs at mantle depths with rare survival of relict minerals. Discrimination between the two mechanisms has great bearing to subcontinental mantle geochemistry. Here we report the occurrence of relict zircons in Cenozoic continental basalts from eastern China. A combined study of zircon U-Pb ages and geochemistry indicates that detrital zircons were carried by terrigenous sediments into a subcontinental subduction zone, where the zircon were transferred by fluids into the magma sources of continental basalts. The basalts were sampled from three petrotectonic units with distinct differences in their magmatic and metamorphic ages, making the crustal contamination discernible. The terrigenous sediments were carried by the subducting oceanic crust into the asthenospheric mantle, producing both soluble and insoluble materials at the slab-mantle interface. These materials were served as metasomatic agents to react with the overlying mantle wedge peridotite, generating a kind of ultramafic metasomatites that contain the relict zircons. Therefore, the occurrence of relict zircons in continental basalts indicates that this refractory mineral can survive extreme temperature-pressure conditions in the asthenospheric mantle.

Seismic evidence for a possible deep crustal hot zone beneath Southwest Washington.

PubMed

Flinders, Ashton F; Shen, Yang

2017-08-07

Crustal pathways connecting deep sources of melt and the active volcanoes they supply are poorly understood. Beneath Mounts St. Helens, Adams, and Rainier these pathways connect subduction-induced ascending melts to shallow magma reservoirs. Petrogenetic modeling predicts that when these melts are emplaced as a succession of sills into the lower crust they generate deep crustal hot zones. While these zones are increasingly recognized as a primary site for silicic differentiation at a range of volcanic settings globally, imaging them remains challenging. Near Mount Rainier, ascending melt has previously been imaged ~28 km northwest of the volcano, while to the south, the volcano lies on the margin of a broad conductive region in the deep crust. Using 3D full-waveform tomography, we reveal an expansive low-velocity zone, which we interpret as a possible hot zone, linking ascending melts and shallow reservoirs. This hot zone may supply evolved magmas to Mounts St. Helens and Adams, and possibly Rainier, and could contain approximately twice the melt volume as the total eruptive products of all three volcanoes combined. Hot zones like this may be the primary reservoirs for arc volcanism, influencing compositional variations and spatial-segmentation along the entire 1100 km-long Cascades Arc.

Seismic evidence for a possible deep crustal hot zone beneath Southwest Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flinders, Ashton; Shen, Yang

2017-01-01

Crustal pathways connecting deep sources of melt and the active volcanoes they supply are poorly understood. Beneath Mounts St. Helens, Adams, and Rainier these pathways connect subduction-induced ascending melts to shallow magma reservoirs. Petrogenetic modeling predicts that when these melts are emplaced as a succession of sills into the lower crust they generate deep crustal hot zones. While these zones are increasingly recognized as a primary site for silicic differentiation at a range of volcanic settings globally, imaging them remains challenging. Near Mount Rainier, ascending melt has previously been imaged ~28 km northwest of the volcano, while to the south, the volcano lies on the margin of a broad conductive region in the deep crust. Using 3D full-waveform tomography, we reveal an expansive low-velocity zone, which we interpret as a possible hot zone, linking ascending melts and shallow reservoirs. This hot zone may supply evolved magmas to Mounts St. Helens and Adams, and possibly Rainier, and could contain approximately twice the melt volume as the total eruptive products of all three volcanoes combined. Hot zones like this may be the primary reservoirs for arc volcanism, influencing compositional variations and spatial-segmentation along the entire 1100 km-long Cascades Arc.

Petrological evidence for non-linear increase of magmatic intrusion rates before eruption at open vent mafic volcanoe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruth, D. C. S.; Costa Rodriguez, F.

2015-12-01

The most active volcanoes on earth erupt in a yearly to decadal time scales, typically erupt mafic magmas and are open-vent systems with prominent degassing plumes (e.g. Mayon, Arenal, Llaima, Etna). Here we investigate the plumbing systems, dynamics, and processes that drive eruptions at these systems. These are key questions for improving hazard evaluation, and better understanding the unrest associated with these types of volcanoes. The petrology and geochemistry from six historical eruptions (1947-2006) of Mayon volcano (Philippines) shows that all lavas are basaltic andesite with phenocrysts of plagioclase + orthopyroxene (Opx) + clinopyroxene. Opx crystals show a variety of compositions and zoning patterns (reverse, normal or complex) with Mg# (= 100 *Mg/[Mg+Fe]) varying from 67 to 81. The simplest interpretation is that the low Mg# parts of the crystals resided on an upper crustal and crystal rich reservoir that was intruded by more primitive magmas from which the high Mg# parts of the crystals grew. Modelling Mg-Fe diffusion in Opx shows that times since magma injection and eruption range from a few days up to 3.5 years in all of the investigated eruptions. The longest diffusion times are shorter than the repose times between the eruptions, which implies that crystal recycling between eruptive events is negligible. This is a surprising result that shows that for each eruption a different part of the evolved crystal-rich plumbing system is activated. This can be due to random intrusion location or an irreversibility of the plumbing system that prevents multiple eruptions from the same crystal-rich part. Moreover, we find that the number of intrusions markedly increases before each eruption in a non-linear manner. Such an increased rate of intrusions with time might reflect non-linear rheological properties of the crystal-rich system, of the enclosing rocks, or the non-linear evolution of crystal-melt reaction-dissolution fronts during magma intrusions.

The Evolution of Galápagos Volcanoes: An Alternative Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harpp, Karen S.; Geist, Dennis J.

2018-05-01

The older eastern Galápagos are different in almost every way from the historically active western Galápagos volcanoes. The western Galápagos volcanoes have steep upper slopes and are topped by large calderas, whereas none of the older islands has a caldera, an observation that is supported by recent gravity measurements. Moreover, the eastern islands tend to have been constructed by linear fissure systems and many are cut by faults. Most of the western volcanoes erupt evolved basalts with an exceedingly small range of Mg#, Lan/Smn, and Smn/Ybn. This is attributed to homogenization in a crustal-scale magmatic mush column, which is maintained in a thermochemical steady state, owing to high magma supply directly over the Galápagos mantle plume. The exceptions are volcanoes at the leading edge of the hotspot, which have yet to develop mush columns, and volcanoes that are waning in activity, because they are being carried away from the plume. In contrast, the eastern volcanoes erupt relatively primitive magmas, with a large range in Mg#, Lan/Smn, and Smn/Ybn. This is attributed to isolated, ephemeral magmatic plumbing systems supplied by smaller magmatic fluxes throughout their histories. Consequently, each batch of magma follows an independent course of evolution, owing to the low volume of hypersolidus material beneath these volcanoes. The magmatic flux to Galápagos volcanoes negatively correlates with the distance to the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC). When the ridge was close to the plume, most of the plume-derived magma was directed to the ridge. Currently, the active volcanoes are much farther from the GSC, thus most of the plume-derived magma erupts on the Nazca Plate and can be focused beneath the large young shields. We define an intermediate sub-province comprising Rabida, Santiago and Pinzon volcanoes, which were most active about 1 Ma. They have all erupted dacites, rhyolites, and trachytes, similar to the dying stage of the western volcanoes, indicating that there was a relatively large volume of mush beneath them. Morphologically, however, they are more like the eastern volcanoes, and have erupted lavas with a large range in composition.

Amphibole and apatite insights into the evolution and mass balance of Cl and S in magmas associated with porphyry copper deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chelle-Michou, Cyril; Chiaradia, Massimo

2017-12-01

Chlorine and sulfur are of paramount importance for supporting the transport and deposition of ore metals at magmatic-hydrothermal systems such as the Coroccohuayco Fe-Cu-Au porphyry-skarn deposit, Peru. Here, we used recent partitioning models to determine the Cl and S concentration of the melts from the Coroccohuayco magmatic suite using apatite and amphibole chemical analyses. The pre-mineralization gabbrodiorite complex hosts S-poor apatite, while the syn- and post-ore dacitic porphyries host S-rich apatite. Our apatite data on the Coroccohuayco magmatic suite are consistent with an increasing oxygen fugacity (from the gabbrodiorite complex to the porphyries) causing the dominant sulfur species to shift from S2- to S6+ at upper crustal pressure where the magmas were emplaced. We suggest that this change in sulfur speciation could have favored S degassing, rather than its sequestration in magmatic sulfides. Using available partitioning models for apatite from the porphyries, pre-degassing S melt concentration was 20-200 ppm. Estimates of absolute magmatic Cl concentrations using amphibole and apatite gave highly contrasting results. Cl melt concentrations obtained from apatite (0.60 wt% for the gabbrodiorite complex; 0.2-0.3 wt% for the porphyries) seems much more reasonable than those obtained from amphibole which are very low (0.37 wt% for the gabbrodiorite complex; 0.10 wt% for the porphyries). In turn, relative variations of the Cl melt concentrations obtained from amphibole during magma cooling are compatible with previous petrological constraints on the Coroccohuayco magmatic suite. This confirms that the gabbrodioritic magma was initially fluid undersaturated upon emplacement, and that magmatic fluid exsolution of the gabbrodiorite and the pluton rooting the porphyry stocks and dikes were emplaced and degassed at 100-200 MPa. Finally, mass balance constraints on S, Cu and Cl were used to estimate the minimum volume of magma required to form the Coroccohuayco deposit. These three estimates are remarkably consistent among each other (ca. 100 km3) and suggest that the Cl melt concentration is at least as critical as that of Cu and S to form an economic mineralization.

Petrotectonic characteristics, geochemistry, and U-Pb geochronology of Jurassic plutons in the Upper Magdalena Valley-Colombia: Implications on the evolution of magmatic arcs in the NW Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, G.; Arango, M. I.; Zapata, G.; Bermúdez, J. G.

2018-01-01

Field, petrographic, and geochemical characterization along with U-Pb zircon geochronology of the Jurassic plutons exposed in the Upper Magdalena Valley (Colombia) allowed recognizing distinct western and eastern suites formed in at least three magmatic pulses. The western plutons crop out between the eastern flank of the Central Cordillera and the Las Minas range, being limited by the Avirama and the Betania-El Agrado faults. The western suite comprises a quartz monzonite - quartz monzodiorite - quartz diorite series and subordinate monzogranites. Chemically, the rocks are high-K calc-alkaline I-type granitoids (some reaching the shoshonitic series) with metaluminous of magnesium affinity. Trace-element tectonic discrimination is consistent with magmatism in a continental arc environment. Most rocks of this suite crystallized between 195 and 186 Ma (Early Jurassic, Pliensbachian), but locally some plutons yielded younger ages between 182 and 179 Ma (Early Jurassic, Toarcian). The eastern suite crops out in the eastern margin of the Upper Magdalena Valley, east of the Betania - El Agrado fault. Plutons of this unit belong to the monzogranite series with rock types ranging between syenogranites and granodiorites. They are high-K calc-alkaline continental granitoids, some metaluminous and some peraluminous, related to I-type granites generated in a volcanic arc. Crystallization of the suite was between 173 and 169 Ma (Middle Jurassic, Aalenian-Bajocian), but locally these rocks contain zircon with earlier inherited ages related to the magmatic pulse of the western suite between 182 and 179 Ma (Early Jurassic, Toarcian). The evolution of the Jurassic plutons in the Upper Magdalena Valley is best explained by onset or increase in subduction erosion of the accretionary prism. This explains the eastward migration of the arc away from the trench. Subduction of prism sediments increased the water flux from the subducting slab, decreasing solidus temperatures, therefore increasing the volume of magma and the amount of crustal melts involved in the magma. This is explains the crystallization of older and more primitive quartz-monzodiorite stocks in the west and the later crystallization of granitic bodies with batholitic dimensions in the east.

The Syrtis Major volcano, Mars: A multidisciplinary approach to interpreting its magmatic evolution and structural development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lillis, Robert J.; Dufek, Josef; Kiefer, Walter S.; Black, Benjamin A.; Manga, Michael; Richardson, Jacob A.; Bleacher, Jacob E.

2015-09-01

Very weak crustal magnetic fields over the Syrtis Major volcanic complex imply almost total thermal demagnetization via magmatic intrusions over a large area less than ~4 Ga. We fit a model of these intrusions and the resulting thermal demagnetization to maps of crustal magnetic field strength at 185 km altitude. The best fits are most consistent with a "dog bone"-shaped region of intrusive material, elongated approximately north-south, with an area of ~350,000 km2 and an inferred volume of ~4-19 × 106 km3. Such a large volume is best explained by a long-lived mantle plume beneath the Syrtis edifice. A free-air gravity anomaly high over the Syrtis Major caldera is consistent with dense mafic residue remaining at depth following crystal fractionation that produced the silicic magmas seen at the surface. The elongation of this region is consistent with ascent and north-south emplacement of magma enabled by structures parallel to and associated with the preexisting Isidis impact basin.

Deep-crustal seismicity in volcanic regions by fluid-enhanced wallrock embrittlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sisson, T. W.; Power, J. A.

2013-12-01

Spatial association of deep long-period (DLP) seismicity with volcanoes [1,2], spectral frequencies resembling shallow events attributed to fluid motions, and temporal associations with some eruptions, prompt the interpretation that DLPs mark the locations of magma, or magma with percolating exsolved vapor, in the mid and lower crust. However, various factors are more consistent with the events taking place in the walls surrounding the hot aseismic cores of deep magmatic systems, due to expelled magmatic fluids elevating pore pressures and reducing wall rock brittle strengths, or possibly in largely solidified peripheral intrusions embrittled by interstitial residual melt. First, although exceptions are known, deep seismic events are typically displaced to one or more sides of the locus of volcanism. Compilation of >1000 mid to deep crustal DLP and volcano tectonic events from the Aleutian arc, plotted as radial distance from the respective volcanic locus vs. depth, shows a minimum of events beneath the volcanic loci, encased in a downward broadening halo of events, typically displaced about 6 km to the sides of the volcanic locus. Lateral offsets of deep events are also well established for volcanoes of the Washington Cascades [3], averaging 7.5×4.5(1σ) km, and for some centers in California [1]. Second, while mafic parental magmas can have high concentrations of H2O (CO2 concentrations are comparatively negligible), H2O is highly soluble at mid to lower crustal pressures and will not exsolve appreciably until advanced crystallization and second boiling. Deep vapor exsolution will proceed gradually, delayed well after replenishment events, due to slow cooling and crystallization in the hot deep crust. Exsolution dominantly at high crystallinities argues against bubbles moving through largely liquid replenishing magmas as a major cause of DLPs. Third, isotherms around the mid to deep crustal portions of magmatic systems will propagate outward with time1/2 due to dominantly conductive heat transfer at those depths. Over the ca. 1-5×105 yr durations of convergent margin volcanoes, characteristic isotherms propagate <10 km (k: 2.25 W/mK); temperature dependent thermal conductivity [4] would reduce these distances. Deep magmatic systems are therefore encased in relatively thin thermal sheaths, outboard of which temperatures drop sharply to near-ambient values, and rock strengths increase accordingly. Collectively, these factors support a scenario wherein magmas crystallize in the roots of volcanic systems, gradually exsolving and releasing vapor, some of which percolates into surrounding wallrocks. Beyond some critical isotherm, plastic rock strength increases sufficiently for fluid enhanced brittle failure when the walls are stressed by magma replenishments or by ordinary tectonic forces. If so, the statistical spatial distribution of DLPs indicates that the hot, active portions of the deep magmatic systems are relatively narrow, commonly <6 km in semi-minor radius. 1. Pitt et al., 2002, Seis Res Lett 73:144-152 2. Power et al., 2004, Jour Volc Geotherm Res 138:243-266 3. Nichols et al., 2011, Jour Volc Geotherm Res 200:116-128 4. Whittington et al., 2009, Nature 458, 319-321

Why do magmas stall? Insights from petrologic and geodetic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmer, M. M.; Plank, T.; Freymueller, J.; Hauri, E. H.; Larsen, J. F.; Nye, C. J.

2007-12-01

Magmas stall at various depths in the crust due to their internal properties (magma viscosity, buoyancy) and external crustal controls (local stress regime, wallrock strength). Annen et al. (JPet 2006) propose a petrological model in which buoyant magma ascends through the crust until the depth of water saturation, after which it crystallizes catastrophically and stalls due to the large increase in magma viscosity. Magmas may erupt from this storage region, or viscous death may result in pluton formation. In order to test this model, and constrain magma storage depths, we combine petrological and geodetic data for several active volcanoes along the Aleutian-Alaska arc. We analyzed glassy, primarily olivine-hosted melt inclusions by SIMS in tephra samples for their pre-eruptive volatile contents, which can be related to the depth of entrapment via pressure-dependent H2O-CO2 solubility models (e.g., VolatileCalc). Melt inclusions are not in equilibrium with pure water vapor (all will contain S and C species), but >50% of the inclusion population are in equilibrium with a vapor containing >85% H2O. Geodetic data (InSAR, GPS) record surface deformation related to volcano inflation/deflation, and can be inverted to solve for the depths of volume change (magma storage) in the crust. In the Aleutians, we find that the maximum melt inclusion trapping depths and geodetic depths correlate, suggesting both techniques record crustal magma storage and crystallization. Melt inclusions from the 1997 Okmok eruption are trapped at ≤3 km; deformation during the eruption and subsequent inflation occurred at 3±0.5 km (Miyagi et al., EPSL 2004; Lu & Masterlark, JGR 2005). At Akutan, melt inclusions and GPS data indicate magma storage at ~5-7 km. Inclusions from flank cones of Makushin yield depths of 7 km, similar to inflation observed beneath the main edifice (6.8 km, Lu et al., JGR 2002). Pleistocene inclusions from Augustine volcano indicate magma storage at 10-18 km, in accord with a deep magma source proposed for the 2006 eruption. Melt inclusions from Shishaldin are trapped at depths up to 4 km, coincident with the base of the conduit (Vergnoille & Caplan Auerbach, BVolc 2006). Other volcanoes record similar depths of melt inclusion entrapment and deformation, including Mt. St. Helens, Irazú, Soufriere Hills, Vesuvius, and Etna. Clearly, crystallization will occur where magmas stall, cool, and degas, so it may not be surprising that the depths of deformation correlate with the depths of melt inclusion entrapment. But the question of why magmas stall at various depths remains. In the Aleutians, maximum H2O contents of melt inclusions (from 2 wt% at Shishaldin to 7 wt% at Augustine) negatively correlate with measures of the degree of mantle melting (Ti6.0 and Y6.0), which is expected if water drives mantle melting beneath arcs (e.g. Kelley et al. JGR 2006; Portnyagin et al EPSL 2007). Thus, if magmas stall near the depths where they reach H2O-saturation, as predicted by Annen et al. and observed here, then magma chamber and pluton depths may ultimately be controlled by the primary magmatic water contents set in the mantle.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 conductivity variations within the arc, providing unique constraints
on temperature, mineralogy and fluid content. This abstract covers preliminary MT constraints on the mantle and deep crust as inferred from the 300 km long amphibious profile. A companion abstract (Bennington et al.) considers the crustal magma chamber imaged by the 3D array.

Zircons reveal magma fluxes in the Earth's crust.

PubMed

Caricchi, Luca; Simpson, Guy; Schaltegger, Urs

2014-07-24

Magma fluxes regulate the planetary thermal budget, the growth of continents and the frequency and magnitude of volcanic eruptions, and play a part in the genesis and size of magmatic ore deposits. However, because a large fraction of the magma produced on the Earth does not erupt at the surface, determinations of magma fluxes are rare and this compromises our ability to establish a link between global heat transfer and large-scale geological processes. Here we show that age distributions of zircons, a mineral often present in crustal magmatic rocks, in combination with thermal modelling, provide an accurate means of retrieving magma fluxes. The characteristics of zircon age populations vary significantly and systematically as a function of the flux and total volume of magma accumulated in the Earth's crust. Our approach produces results that are consistent with independent determinations of magma fluxes and volumes of magmatic systems. Analysis of existing age population data sets using our method suggests that porphyry-type deposits, plutons and large eruptions each require magma input over different timescales at different characteristic average fluxes. We anticipate that more extensive and complete magma flux data sets will serve to clarify the control that the global heat flux exerts on the frequency of geological events such as volcanic eruptions, and to determine the main factors controlling the distribution of resources on our planet.

Temporal Evolution of Volcanic and Plutonic Magmas Related to Porphyry Copper Ores Based on Zircon Geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilles, J. H.; Lee, R. G.; Wooden, J. L.; Koleszar, A. M.

2015-12-01

Porphyry Cu (Mo-Au) and epithermal Au-Ag ores are globally associated with shallow hydrous, strongly oxidized, and sulfur-rich arc intrusions. In many localities, long-lived magmatism includes evolution from early andesitic volcanic (v) and plutonic (p) rocks to later dacitic or rhyolitic compositions dominated by plutons. We compare zircon compositions from three igneous suites with different time spans: Yerington, USA (1 m.y., p>v), El Salvador, Chile (4 m.y., p>v), and Yanacocha, Peru (6 m.y., v>p). At Yerington granite dikes and ores formed in one event, at ES in 2 to 3 events spanning 3 m.y., and at Yanacocha in 6 events spanning 5 m.y. At both ES and Yanacocha, high-Al amphiboles likely crystallized at high temperature in the mid-crust and attest to deep magmas that periodically recharged the shallow chambers. At Yanacocha, these amphiboles contain anhydrite inclusions that require magmas were sulfur-rich and strongly oxidized (~NNO+2). The Ti-in-zircon geothermometer provides estimates of 920º to 620º C for zircon crystallization, and records both core to rim cooling and locally high temperature rim overgrowths. Ore-related silicic porphyries yield near-solidus crystallization temperatures of 750-650°C consistent with low zircon saturation temperatures. The latter zircons have large positive Ce/Ce* and small negative Eu/Eu*≥0.4 anomalies attesting to strongly oxidized conditions (Ballard et al., 2001), which we propose result from crystallization and SO2 loss to the magmatic-hydrothermal ore fluid (Dilles et al., 2015). The Hf, REE, Y, U, and Th contents of zircons are diverse in the magma suites, and Th/U vs Yb/Gd plots suggest a dominant role of crystal fractionation with lesser roles for both crustal contamination and mixing with high temperature deep-sourced mafic magma. Ce/Sm vs Yb/Gd plots suggest that magma REE contents at <900°C are dominated by early crystallization of hornblende and apatite, and late crystallization (~<780°C) of titanite. Magma mixing and crustal contamination are most evident in pre-ore magmas, whereas ore-forming intrusions at low temperatures are dominated by crystal fractionation. Thus, zircon provides evidence for cyclic crystallization and mafic recharge that enrich late silicic melts in incompatible ore components water, sulfur, chlorine and metals.

Imaging the Alaskan subduction zone with joint inversion of ambient noise and teleseismic surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin-Short, R.; Allen, R. M.; Porritt, R.

2017-12-01

Alaska consists of a complex arrangement of terranes of various geological affinities, mostof which have been accreted to the margin of North America over the last 200Myr. Today,the southern margin of Alaska is a site of active subduction, displaying a myriad ofenigmatic tectonic features. These include transition from compressional to strike-slipdominated deformation, accretion of the over-thickened Yakutat terrane, termination ofAleutian arc magnetism and the Wrangell Volcanic Field, whose magma source remainsdebated. The ongoing deployment of Transportable Array (TA) seismometers across Alaskaprovides an unprecedented opportunity to image these features in detail and learn moreabout the tectonic history of the region. Here we present a three dimensional model ofshear wave (Vsv) velocity beneath Alaska constructed using joint inversion of phasevelocity maps derived from ambient noise and teleseismic surface wave tomography. Thismodel possesses good resolution from the upper crust to about 150km depth, thuscomplementing recent body wave models of the region, which lack resolution above 100km.In the upper crust, we are able to distinguish major sedimentary basins and the cores ofmountain belts. At mid-crustal depths, we see a sharp velocity contrast across the Denalifault, suggesting that it marks a significant step in crustal thickness. In the mantle wedgeabove the subducting Yakutat terrane we observe a high velocity anomaly that may berelated to paucity of volcanism in this region. At greater depths, we image the subductingPacific-Yakutat slab as an elongate, high velocity anomaly that terminates abruptly at 145ºW, slightly further east than suggested by the Wadati-Benioff zone alone. There is alarge, low velocity anomaly beneath the Wrangell Volcanic Field, hinting that magmatismhere may be related to mantle upwelling around the slab edge.

Upper Carboniferous retroarc volcanism with submarine and subaerial facies at the western Gondwana margin of Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koukharsky, M.; Kleiman, L.; Etcheverría, M.; Quenardelle, S.; Bercowski, F.

2009-04-01

During Late Carboniferous times a continental magmatic arc developed at the western margin of Gondwana in South America, as several marine sedimentary basins were formed at the same time in the retroarc region. North of 33°S, at Cordón Agua del Jagüel, Precordillera of Mendoza, Argentina, a volcanic sequence crops out which was emplaced in a submarine environment with some subaerial exposures, and it is intercalated in marine sediments of Agua del Jagüel Formation, which fills of one of these retroarc basins. This paper presents, for the first time, a facies analyses together with geochemical and isotopic data of this volcanic suite, suggesting its deposition in an ensialic retroarc marine basin. The volcanic succession comprises debris flows with either sedimentary or volcanic fragments, base surge, resedimented massive and laminated dacitic-andesitic hyaloclastite, pillow lava, basic hyaloclastite and dacitic-andesitic lavas and hyaloclastite facies. Its composition is bimodal, either basaltic or dacitic-andesitic. The geochemistry data indicate a subalkaline, low K calk-alkaline and metaluminous affinity. The geochemistry of the basalts points to an origin of the magmas from a depleted mantle source with some crustal contamination. Conversely, the geochemistry of the dacites-andesites shows an important participation of both crustal components and subduction related fluids. A different magmatic source for the basalts than for the dacites-andesites is also supported by Sr and Nd isotopic initial ratios and Nd model ages. The characteristics of this magmatic suite suggest its emplacement in an extensional setting probably associated with the presence of a steepened subduction zone at this latitude during Upper Carboniferous times.

Textural and mineral chemistry constraints on evolution of Merapi Volcano, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Innocenti, Sabrina; del Marmol, Mary-Ann; Voight, Barry; Andreastuti, Supriyati; Furman, Tanya

2013-07-01

We analyze and compare the textures of Merapi lavas (basalts and basaltic andesites) ranging in age from Proto-Merapi through modern activity, with the goal of gaining insights on the temporal evolution of Merapi's magmatic system. Analysis of textural parameters, such as phenocryst and microphenocryst crystallinity, coupled with crystal size distribution theory, provides information about the storage and transport of magmas. We combine textural analyses with geochemical investigations for a comprehensive comparison of erupted lavas over time. The chemical analyses identify crystal growth processes in magma chambers and underline differences between sample groups. Our work suggests the occurrence of two distinct histories, presumably associated with (at least) two generally distinct types of rheological behaviors and storage/transport systems. These behaviors are associated with different plagioclase growth patterns, with both groups influenced by late-stage shallow decompression degassing-induced microlite crystallization. Both groups contain amphibole crystals that indicate an early period of mid-crustal to deep-crustal storage of water-rich magmas. Dome lavas from the 20th century eruptive activity indicate quasi-steady-state nucleation-and-growth evolution interspersed with episodes of reheating and textural coarsening, suggesting residence in magma storage at multiple depths, both > 10 km, and < 10 km, while samples from the older stratigraphic history of Merapi record both repeated attainment and loss of quasi-steady-state conditions. These observations, coupled with our companion study of Merapi tephra samples, suggest that the relatively benign type of activity observed in the 20th century will be interrupted from time to time in the future by more explosive eruptions, such as that of 2010.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 relationship with either age or proximity to the Cenozoic intraplate volcanic centres or with major faults. In general, areas characterised by mantle 3He emission are interpreted to define those regions beneath which mantle melting and basalt magma addition to the crust are recent. The strongest mantle 3He anomaly (equivalent to >80% mantle helium component) is centred over southern Dunedin, measured in magmatic CO 2-rich mineral water springs issuing from crystalline basement rocks which outcrop at the southern extent of Miocene intraplate basaltic volcanism which ceased 9 Ma ago. This mantle helium anomaly overlaps with an area characterised by elevated surface high heat flow, compatible with a long-lived mantle melt/heat input into the crust. In comparison Banks Peninsula, another Miocene intraplate basaltic centre, is characterised by relatively low surface heat flow and a small mantle helium contribution measured in a nitrogen-rich spring. Here the thermal transient induced by the magmatic event has either dissipated or has not reached the surface. In the former case one might be dealing with storage and mixing of magmatic and crustal gases at shallow crustal levels and in the latter with active to recent mantle-melt degassing at depth. Along the most actively deforming part of the plate boundary zone, the transpressional Alpine Fault and Marlborough fault systems, mantle helium is present in gas-rich springs in all those areas underlain by actively subducting oceanic crust (the Australian plate in the south and Pacific plate in the north), whereas the central part of the Alpine transpressional fault is characterised by pure crustal radiogenic helium. Areas where the mantle helium component is negligible are restricted to the centre part of the South Island, extending along its length from Southland to northern Canterbury and Murchison. These areas are interpreted to delineate the extent of thicker and colder lithosphere compared to all other areas where mantle helium release from partial mantle melts at depth is recent to active being added to the lower lithosphere and/or lower crust. Areas characterised by mantle helium anomalies are equated with areas of thermal mantle anomalies, i.e., localised mantle heterogeneities such as upwelling less dense silicate melts in the upper asthenospheric mantle.

Transfer of volatiles and metals from mafic to felsic magmas in composite magma chambers: An experimental study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Haihao; Audétat, Andreas

2017-02-01

In order to determine the behavior of metals and volatiles during intrusion of mafic magma into the base of silicic, upper crustal magma chambers, fluid-rock partition coefficients (Dfluid/rock) of Li, B, Na, S, Cl, K, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Ba, Ce, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Mo, As, Se, Sb, Te, W, Tl, Pb and Bi were determined experimentally at 2 kbar and 850 °C close to the solidus of mafic magma. In a first step, volatile-bearing mafic glasses were prepared by melting a natural basaltic trachyandesite in the presence of volatile-bearing fluids at 1200 °C/10 kbar in piston cylinder presses. The hydrous glasses were then equilibrated in subsequent experiments at 850 °C/2 kbar in cold-seal pressure vessels, which caused 80-90% of the melt to crystallize. After 0.5-2.0 days of equilibration, the exsolved fluid was trapped by means of in-situ fracturing in the form of synthetic fluid inclusions in quartz. Both the mafic rock residue and the fluid inclusions were subsequently analyzed by laser-ablation ICP-MS for major and trace elements. Reverse experiments were conducted by equilibrating metal-bearing aqueous solutions with rock powder and then trapping the fluid. In two additional experiments, information on relative element mobilities were obtained by reacting fluids that exsolved from crystallizing mafic magma with overlying silicic melts. The combined results suggest that under the studied conditions S, Cl, Cu, Se, Br, Cd and Te are most volatile (Dfluid/rock >10), followed by Li, B, Zn, As, Ag, Sb, Cs, W, Tl, Pb and Bi (Dfluid/rock = 1-10). Less volatile are Na, Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Mo and Rb (Dfluid/rock 0.1-1), and the least fluid-mobile elements are Al, Si, Ti, Zr, Ba and Ce (Dfluid/rock <0.1). This trend is broadly consistent with relative element volatilities determined on natural high-temperature fumarole gases, although some differences exist. Based on the volatility data and measured mineral-melt and sulfide-melt partition coefficients, volatile fluxing in felsic natural samples may be identified by Cu, Se, Te and Cd-enrichment in magmatic sulfides, and by As, Se, Cd and Bi-enrichment in magmatic apatite.

Oxidized sulfur-rich mafic magma at Mount Pinatubo, Philippines

USGS Publications Warehouse

de Hoog, J.C.M.; Hattori, K.H.; Hoblitt, R.P.

2004-01-01

Basaltic fragments enclosed in andesitic dome lavas and pyroclastic flows erupted during the early stages of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, contain amphiboles that crystallized during the injection of mafic magma into a dacitic magma body. The amphiboles contain abundant melt inclusions, which recorded the mixing of andesitic melt in the mafic magma and rhyolitic melt in the dacitic magma. The least evolved melt inclusions have high sulfur contents (up to 1,700 ppm) mostly as SO42, which suggests an oxidized state of the magma (NNO + 1.4). The intrinsically oxidized nature of the mafic magma is confirmed by spinel-olivine oxygen barometry. The value is comparable to that of the dacitic magma (NNO + 1.6). Hence, models invoking mixing as a means of releasing sulfur from the melt are not applicable to Pinatubo. Instead, the oxidized state of the dacitic magma likely reflects that of parental mafic magma and the source region in the sub-arc mantle. Our results fit a model in which long-lived SO2 discharge from underplated mafic magma accumulated in the overlying dacitic magma and immiscible aqueous fluids. The fluids were the most likely source of sulfur that was released into the atmosphere during the cataclysmic eruption. The concurrence of highly oxidized basaltic magma and disproportionate sulfur output during the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption suggests that oxidized mafic melt is an efficient medium for transferring sulfur from the mantle to shallow crustal levels and the atmosphere. As it can carry large amounts of sulfur, effectively scavenge sulfides from the source mantle and discharge SO2 during ascent, oxidized mafic magma forms arc volcanoes with high sulfur fluxes, and potentially contributes to the formation of metallic sulfide deposits. ?? Springer-Verlag 2003.

What drives the Tibetan crust to the South East Asia? Role of upper mantle density discontinuities as inferred from the continental geoid anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajesh, S.

2012-04-01

The Himalaya-Tibet orogen formed as a result of the northward convergence of India into the Asia over the past 55 Ma had caused the north south crustal shortening and Cenozoic upliftment of the Tibetan plateau, which significantly affected the tectonic and climatic framework of the Asia. Geodetic measurements have also shown eastward crustal extrusion of Tibet, especially along major east-southeast strike slip faults at a slip rate of 15-20 mm a-1 and around 40 mm a-1. Such continental scale deformations have been modeled as block rotation by fault boundary stresses developed due to the India-Eurasia collision. However, the Thin Sheet model explained the crustal deformation mechanism by considering varying gravitational potential energy arise out of varying crustal thickness of the viscous lithosphere. The Channel Flow model, which also suggests extrusion is a boundary fault guided flow along the shallow crustal brittle-ductile regime. Although many models have proposed, but no consensus in these models to explain the dynamics of measured surface geodetic deformation of the Tibetan plateau. But what remains conspicuous is the origin of driving forces that cause the observed Tibetan crustal flow towards the South East Asia. Is the crustal flow originated only because of the differential stresses that developed in the shallow crustal brittle-ductile regime? Or should the stress transfer to the shallow crustal layers as a result of gravitational potential energy gradient driven upper mantle flow also to be accounted. In this work, I examine the role of latter in the light of depth distribution of continental geoid anomalies beneath the Himalaya-Tibet across major upper mantle density discontinuities. These discontinuity surfaces in the upper mantle are susceptible to hold the plastic deformation that may occur as a result of the density gradient driven flow. The distribution of geoid anomalies across these density discontinuities at 220, 410 and 660 km depth in the upper mantle beneath the Himalaya-Tibet has been studied by analyzing the geoid undulation data obtained from various satellite geodetic missions along with the recent and old (EGM2008 and EGM2006) Earth Gravity models. Results show that the net geoid anomaly varies from -65 m to -20 m, which signify a density stratified upper mantle beneath the Himalaya-Tibet and the same has been confirmed from the results of regional seismic tomography studies. The density anomaly distribution beneath Tibet from 163 km depth to its upper mantle thickness of 1063 km show a strong NW-SE elliptically oriented positive geoid anomalies of magnitude around 40 meter. Asymmetric density anomaly gradient have been observed along the Himalayan arc from west to east as well as across the arc from north to south. This caused differential gravitational potential gradient and hence an elliptical flow structure of the Tibetan continental mantle along the resultant NW-SE direction, which is in concurrence with the observed present day direction of the Tibetan crustal flow. Thus the geoid anomalies distributed at various depth ranges show how the gradient in the upper mantle gravitational potential energy, especially across the deformed discontinuity surface, is significant in determining the transfer of deviatoric stresses and providing traction to the flow of crustal layers of the Tibetan Plateau. This suggests the viscous flow model could be a preferable choice, which could better accommodate the dynamics of the upper mantle, in explaining the crustal extrusion processes of the Tibetan Plateau.

How does continental lithosphere break-apart? A 3D seismic view on the transition from magma-poor rifted margin to magmatic oceanic lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmanuel, M.; Lescanne, M.; Picazo, S.; Tomasi, S.

2017-12-01

In the last decade, high-quality seismic data and drilling results drastically challenged our ideas about how continents break apart. New models address their observed variability and are presently redefining basics of rifting as well as exploration potential along deepwater rifted margins. Seafloor spreading is even more constrained by decades of scientific exploration along Mid Oceanic Ridges. By contrast, the transition between rifting and drifting remains a debated subject. This lithospheric breakup "event" is geologically recorded along Ocean-Continent Transitions (OCT) at the most distal part of margins before indubitable oceanic crust. Often lying along ultra-deepwater margin domains and buried beneath a thick sedimentary pile, high-quality images of these domains are rare but mandatory to get strong insights on the processes responsible for lithospheric break up and what are the consequences for the overlying basins. We intend to answer these questions by studying a world-class 3D seismic survey in a segment of a rifted margin exposed in the Atlantic. Through these data, we can show in details the OCT architecture between a magma-poor hyper-extended margin (with exhumed mantle) and a classical layered oceanic crust. It is characterized by 1- the development of out-of-sequence detachment systems with a landward-dipping geometry and 2- the increasing magmatic additions oceanwards (intrusives and extrusives). Geometry of these faults suggests that they may be decoupled at a mantle brittle-ductile interface what may be an indicator on thermicity. Furthermore, magmatism increases as deformation migrates to the future first indubitable oceanic crust what controls a progressive magmatic crustal thickening below, above and across a tapering rest of margin. As the magmatic budget increases oceanwards, full-rate divergence is less and less accommodated by faulting. Magmatic-sedimentary architectures of OCT is therefore changing from supra-detachment to magmatic oceanic half-grabens (low-crustal extension, high magma additions) and to ultimate layered oceanic crust (quasi-none crustal extension, full magmatic accretion). All of these elements suggest that lithospheric breakup can be addressed as a tectonic-magma competition as the brittle-ductile mantle interface is shallowing along OCT.

Geochemistry, mineralogy, and zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopes in peraluminous A-type granite xenoliths in Pliocene-Pleistocene basalts of northern Pannonian Basin (Slovakia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huraiová, Monika; Paquette, Jean-Louis; Konečný, Patrik; Gannoun, Abdel-Mouhcine; Hurai, Vratislav

2017-08-01

Anorogenic granite xenoliths occur in alkali basalts coeval with the Pliocene-Pleistocene continental rifting of the Pannonian Basin. Observed granite varieties include peraluminous, calcic to peralkalic, magnesian to ferroan types. Quartz and feldspars are dominant rock-forming minerals, accompanied by minor early ilmenite and late magnetite-ulvöspinel. Zircon and Nb-U-REE minerals (oxycalciopyrochlore, fergusonite, columbite) are locally abundant accessory phases in calc-alkalic types. Absence of OH-bearing Fe, Mg-silicates and presence of single homogeneous feldspars (plagioclase in calcic types, anorthoclase in calc-alkalic types, ferrian Na-sanidine to anorthoclase in alkalic types) indicate water-deficient, hypersolvus crystallization conditions. Variable volumes of interstitial glass, absence of exsolutions, and lacking deuteric hydrothermal alteration and/or metamorphic/metasomatic overprint are diagnostic of rapid quenching from hypersolidus temperatures. U-Pb zircon ages determined in calcic and calc-alkalic granite xenoliths correspond to a time interval between 5.7 and 5.2 Ma. Positive ɛHf values (14.2 ± 3.9) in zircons from a 5.2-Ma-old calc-alkalic granite xenolith indicate mantle-derived magmas largely unaffected by the assimilation of crustal material. This is in accordance with abundances of diagnostic trace elements (Rb, Y, Nb, Ta), indicating A1-type, OIB-like source magmas. Increased accumulations of Nb-U-REE minerals in these granites indicate higher degree of the magmatic differentiation reflected in Rb-enrichment, contrasting with Ba-enrichment in barren xenoliths. Incipient charnockitization, i.e. orthopyroxene and ilmenite crystallization from interstitial silicate melt, was observed in many granite xenoliths. Thermodynamic modeling using pseudosections showed that the orthopyroxene growth may have been triggered by water exsolution from the melt during ascent of xenoliths in basaltic magma. Euhedral-to-skeletal orthopyroxene growth probably reflects contrasting ascent rates of basaltic magma with xenoliths, intermitted by the stagnation in various crustal levels at a <3 kbar pressure. The Tertiary suite of intra-plate, mantle-derived A1-type granites and syenites is geochemically distinct from pre-Tertiary, post-orogenic A2-type granites of the Carpatho-Pannonian region, which exhibit geochemical features diagnostic of crustal melting along continental margins.

Mid-Neoproterozoic intraplate magmatism in the northern margin of the Southern Granulite Terrane, India: Constraints from geochemistry, zircon U-Pb geochronology and Lu-Hf isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deeju, T. R.; Santosh, M.; Yang, Qiong-Yan; Pradeepkumar, A. P.; Shaji, E.

2016-11-01

The northern margin of the Southern Granulite Terrane in India hosts a number of mafic, felsic and alkaline magmatic suites proximal to major shear/paleo-suture zones and mostly represents magmatism in rift-settings. Here we investigate a suite of gabbros and granite together with intermediate (dioritic) units generated through mixing and mingling of a bimodal magmatic suite. The massive gabbro exposures represent the cumulate fraction of a basic magma whereas the granitoids represent the product of crystallization in felsic magma chambers generated through crustal melting. Diorites and dioritic gabbros mostly occur as enclaves and lenses within host granitoids resembling mafic magmatic enclaves. Geochemistry of the felsic units shows volcanic arc granite and syn-collisional granite affinity. The gabbro samples show mixed E-MORB signature and the magma might have been generated in a rift setting. The trace and REE features of the rocks show variable features of subduction zone enrichment, crustal contamination and within plate enrichment, typical of intraplate magmatism involving the melting of source components derived from both depleted mantle sources and crustal components derived from older subduction events. The zircons in all the rock types show magmatic crystallization features and high Th/U values. Their U-Pb data are concordant with no major Pb loss. The gabbroic suite yields 206Pb/238U weighted mean ages in the range of 715 ± 4-832.5 ± 5 Ma marking a major phase of mid Neoproterozoic magmatism. The diorites crystallized during 206Pb/238U weighted mean age of 724 ± 6-830 ± 2 Ma. Zircons in the granite yield 206Pb/238U weighted mean age of 823 ± 4 Ma. The age data show broadly similar age ranges for the mafic, intermediate and felsic rocks and indicate a major phase of bi-modal magmatism during mid Neoproterozoic. The zircons studied show both positive and negative εHf(t) values for the gabbros (-6.4 to 12.4), and negative values for the diorites (-7.8 to -16.7) and granite (-16.6 to -6.7). Together with the Hf depleted model ages and crustal model ages, we infer that the magma sources involved both juvenile depleted mantle and reworked Mesoproterozoic, Paleoproterozoic and Neoarchean components. The mid Neoproterozoic intraplate magmatism is considered to be a response to mantle upwelling in an aborted rift setting.

Numerical modelling of quaternary deformation and post-rifting displacement in the Asal-Ghoubbet rift (Djibouti, Africa) [rapid communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cattin, Rodolphe; Doubre, Cécile; de Chabalier, Jean-Bernard; King, Geoffrey; Vigny, Christophe; Avouac, Jean-Philippe; Ruegg, Jean-Claude

2005-11-01

Over the last three decades a host of information on rifting process relating to the geological and thermal structure, long-time scale deformation (Quaternary and Holocene) and rifting cycle displacement across the Asal-Ghoubbet rift has been made available. These data are interpreted with a two-dimensional thermo-mechanical model that incorporates rheological layering of the lithosphere, dyke inflation and faulting. Active fault locations and geometry are mainly controlled by both thermal structure and magma intrusion into the crust. The distributed slip throughout the inner rift is related to the closeness of magma chamber, leading to additional stress into the upper thinned crust. Assuming a constant Arabia-Somalia motion of 11 mm/year, the variation of subsidence rate between the last 100 and 9 ka is associated with a decrease of the average injection rate from 10 to 5 mm/year. These values, about equal to the regional opening rate, suggest that both volcanism and tectonic play an equivalent role in the rifting process. Our modelled sequence of events gives one possible explanation for both vertical and horizontal displacements observed since the 1978 seismovolcanic crisis. Although part of the post-rifting deformation could be due to viscous relaxation, the high opening rate in the first years after the event and the abrupt velocity change in 1984-1986 argue for a large dyke inflation of 12 cm/year ending in 1985. The asymmetric and constant pattern of the GPS velocity since 1991 suggests that present post-rifting deformation is mainly controlled by fault creep and regional stretching. This study demonstrates the internal consistency of the data set, highlights the role of magmatism in the mechanics of crustal stretching and reveals a complex post-rifting process including magma injection, fault creep and regional stretching.

Seismic Tomography of the Arabian-Eurasian Collision Zone and Surrounding Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-20

zone. The crustal models correlate well with geologic and tectonic features. The upper mantle tomograms show the images of the subducted Neotethys...We first obtain Pn and Sn velocities using local and regional arrival time data. Second, we obtain the 3-D crustal P and S velocity models...teleseismic tomography provides a high-resolution, 3-D P-wave velocity model for the crust, upper mantle, and the transition zone. The crustal models

How to build a mid-crustal intrusive suite: geologic mapping, U-Pb geo-/thermochronology, and thermal modeling of the Bergell Intrusion, Central Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samperton, K. M.; Schoene, B.; Annen, C.

2015-12-01

Insights into the characteristic rates and processes of crustal magmatic systems can best be made through the integration of observational, analytical and modeling perspectives. We present such an approach in reconstructing the emplacement, differentiation and cooling history of the Bergell Intrusion (N Italy/SE Switzerland), a normally-zoned pluton preserving a ~10 km mid-crustal transect. U-Pb zircon, titanite and allanite geo-/thermochronology of Bergell granitoids provide key empirical constraints for informing numerical simulations of pulse-wise, incremental assembly. Protracted zircon crystallization histories, representing the time between magma zircon saturation and cooling to the solidus, provide a direct petrologic link to forward models of magma emplacement, both of which can be used to derive quantitative magmatic cooling rates for the middle crust. Titanite and allanite dates provide additional constraints on the timing of solidification. Geochronology and modeling are performed in the context of detailed field and structural observations, including those previously interpreted as evidence of upward, pluton-scale melt migration via floor convergence/roof ballooning. Combined Bergell data and modeling demonstrate that pulsed assembly can lead to the formation of substantial melt reservoirs in the middle crust: this finding is largely in contrast to similar models of shallow crustal plutons, highlighting the importance of factors such as ambient country rock temperature in affecting melt residence timescales. This work emphasizes the importance of implementing joint data/modeling studies to intrusive rocks across the full range of spatial scales, emplacement levels and tectonic settings observed on Earth.

The Mg isotopic systematics of granitoids in continental arcs and implications for the role of chemical weathering in crust formation

PubMed Central

Shen, Bing; Jacobsen, Benjamin; Lee, Cin-Ty A.; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Morton, Douglas M.

2009-01-01

Continental crust is too Si-rich and Mg-poor to derive directly from mantle melting, which generates basaltic rather than felsic magmas. Converting basalt to more felsic compositions requires a second step involving Mg loss, which is thought to be dominated by internal igneous differentiation. However, igneous differentiation alone may not be able to generate granites, the most silicic endmember making up the upper continental crust. Here, we show that granites from the eastern Peninsular Ranges Batholith (PRB) in southern California are isotopically heavy in Mg compared with PRB granodiorites and canonical mantle. Specifically, Mg isotopes correlate positively with Si content and O, Sr, and Pb isotopes and negatively with Mg content. The elevated Sr and Pb isotopes require that a component in the source of the granitic magmas to be ancient preexisting crust making up the prebatholithic crustal basement, but the accompanying O and Mg isotope fractionations suggest that this prebatholithic crust preserved a signature of low-temperature alteration. The protolith of this basement rock may have been the residue of chemical weathering, which progressively leached Mg from the residue, leaving the remaining Mg highly fractionated in terms of its isotopic signature. Our observations indicate that ancient continental crust preserves the isotopic signature of compositional modification by chemical weathering. PMID:19920171

Nd and Sr isotopic variations in acidic rocks from Japan: significance of upper-mantle heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terakado, Yasutaka; Nakamura, Noboru

1984-10-01

Initial Nd and Sr isotopic ratios have been measured for Cretaceous acidic and related intermediate rocks (24 volcanic and two plutonic rocks) from the Inner Zone of Southwest Japan (IZSWJ) to investigate the genesis of acidic magmas. The initial Nd and Sr isotopic ratios for these rocks show three interesting features: (1) ɛ Nd values for acidic rocks (+2 to -9) are negatively correlated with ɛ Sr values (+10 to +90) together with those for intermediate rocks ( ɛ Nd=+3 to -8; ɛ Sr=0 to +65). (2) The ɛ Nd values for silica rich rocks (>60% SiO2) correlate with the longitude of the sample locality, decreasing from west to east in a stepwise fashion: Four areas characterized by uniform ɛ Nd values are discriminated. (3) Low silica rocks (<60% SiO2) in a certain area have distinctly different ɛ Nd values from those of the high silica rocks in the same area. These results as well as those deduced from the additional samples collected, for comparison, from other provinces in Japan suggest that the acidic rocks can be formed neither by fractional crystallization processes from more basic magmas nor by crustal assimilation processes. The isotopic variations of the acidic rocks may reflect regional isotopic heterogeneity in the lower crust, and this heterogeneity may ultimately be attributed to the regional heterogeneity of the uppermost-mantle beneath the Japanese Islands.

Magma Transport from Deep to Shallow Crust and Eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, R. S.; Greenfield, T. S.; Green, R. G.; Brandsdottir, B.; Hudson, T.; Woods, J.; Donaldson, C.; Ágústsdóttir, T.

2016-12-01

We have mapped magma transport paths from the deep (20 km) to the shallow (6 km) crust and in two cases to eventual surface eruption under several Icelandic volcanoes (Askja, Bardarbunga, Eyjafjallajokull, Upptyppingar). We use microearthquakes caused by brittle fracture to map magma on the move and tomographic seismic studies of velocity perturbations beneath volcanoes to map the magma storage regions. High-frequency brittle failure earthquakes with magnitudes of typically 0-2 occur where melt is forcing its way through the country rock, or where previously frozen melt is repeatedly re-broken in conduits and dykes. The Icelandic crust on the rift zones where these earthquakes occur is ductile at depths greater than 7 km beneath the surface, so the occurrence of brittle failure seismicity at depths as great as 20 km is indicative of high strain rates, for which magma movement is the most likely explanation. We suggest that high volatile pressures caused by the exsolution of carbon dioxide in the deep crust is driving the magma movement and seismicity at depths of 15-20 km. Eruptions from shallow crustal storage areas are likewise driven by volatile exsolution, though additional volatiles, and in particular water are also involved in the shallow crust.

Accelerated uplift and magmatic intrusion of the Yellowstone caldera, 2004 to 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chang, Wu-Lung; Smith, Robert B.; Wicks, Charles; Farrell, J.M.; Puskas, C.M.

2007-01-01

The Yellowstone caldera began a rapid episode of ground uplift in mid-2004, revealed by Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements, at rates up to 7 centimeters per year, which is over three times faster than previously observed inflation rates. Source modeling of the deformation data suggests an expanding volcanic sill of ???1200 square kilometers at a 10-kilometer depth beneath the caldera, coincident with the top of a seismically imaged crustal magma chamber. The modeled rate of source volume increase is 0.1 cubic kilometer per year, similar to the amount of magma intrusion required to supply the observed high heat flow of the caldera. This evidence suggests magma recharge as the main mechanism for the accelerated uplift, although pressurization of magmatic fluids cannot be ruled out.

Subduction zone mantle enrichment by fluids and Zr-Hf-depleted crustal melts as indicated by backarc basalts of the Southern Volcanic Zone, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holm, Paul M.; Søager, Nina; Alfastsen, Mads; Bertotto, Gustavo W.

2016-10-01

We aim to identify the components metasomatizing the mantle above the subducting Nazca plate under part of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ). We present new major and ICP-MS trace element and Sr, Nd and high-precision Pb isotope analyses of primitive olivine-phyric alkali basalts from the Northern Segment Volcanic Field, part of the Payenia province in the backarc of the Transitional SVZ. One new 40Ar-39Ar age determination confirms the Late Pleistocene age of this most northerly part of the province. All analysed rocks have typical subduction zone type incompatible element enrichment, and the rocks of the Northern Segment, together with the neighbouring Nevado Volcanic Field, have isotopic compositions intermediate between adjacent Transitional SVZ arc rocks and southern Payenia OIB-type basaltic rocks. Modelling the Ba-Th-Sm variation we demonstrate that fluids as well as 1-2% melts of upper continental crust (UCC) enriched their mantle sources, and La-Nb-Sm variations additionally indicate that the pre-metasomatic sources ranged from strongly depleted to undepleted mantle. Low Eu/Eu* and Sr/Nd also show evidence for a UCC component in the source. The contribution of Chile Trench sediments to the magmas seems insignificant. The Zr/Sm and Hf/Sm ratios are relatively low in many of the Northern Segment rocks, ranging down to 17 and 0.45, respectively, which, together with relatively high Th/U, is argued to indicate that the metasomatizing crustal melts were derived by partial melting of subducted UCC that had residual zircon, in contrast to the UCC melts added to Transitional SVZ arc magmas. Mixing between depleted and undepleted mantle, enriched by UCC and fluids, is suggested by Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes of the Northern Segment and Nevado magmas. The metasomatized undepleted mantle south of the Northern Segment is suggested to be part of upwelling OIB-type mantle, whereas the pre-metasomatically depleted mantle also can be found as a component in some arc rocks. The fluid-borne enrichment seems to have been derived from South Atlantic wedge mantle with no significant transfer of solubles in the slab fluids from the subducting altered Pacific oceanic crust to the wedge. The Northern Segment magmatism is proposed to be related to the steepening of Nazca plate subduction in the Pleistocene after a shallow slab period, where melts of subducted UCC plus slab fluids metasomatized the overlying depleted wedge mantle. During this steepening, the enriched depleted and undepleted mantle mixed or interacted, and yielded the Northern Segment and Nevado magmas.

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of lava flows around Linga, Chhindwara area in the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (EDVP), India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganguly, Sohini; Ray, Jyotisankar; Koeberl, Christian; Saha, Abhishek; Thöni, Martin; Balaram, V.

2014-09-01

Based on systematic three-tier arrangement of vesicles, entablature and columnar joints, three distinct quartz normative tholeiitic lava flows (I, II and III) were recognized in the area around Linga, in the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (EDVP). Each of the flows exhibits intraflow chemical variations marked by high Mg#-low Ti, and low Mg#-high Ti contents. The MgO (4.27-7.74 wt.%), Mg# (23.45-41.89) and Zr (161.5-246.3 ppm) of Linga flows suggest an evolved chemistry marked by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination processes. Positive Rb and Th anomalies, negative Nb anomalies, relative enrichment of LILE-LREE with respect to Nb, Nb/Th:3.71-6.77 indicate crustal contamination of magma by continental materials through magma-crust interaction during melt migration and contributions from sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). Negative K, Sr and Ti anomalies corroborate an intracontinental, rift-controlled tectonic setting for the genesis and evolution of Linga basalts. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns reflect low HREE abundances and prominent LREE/HREE, MREE/HREE fractionation thereby pointing towards partial melting of garnet peridotite mantle source. Nb, Zr, Y variations suggest 10-15% partial melting of mantle source for the derivation of parent tholeiitic melt that suffered crystal fractionation of phenocrystal phases and subsequent liquid immiscibility. Critical evaluation of Srinitial and Ndinitial (65 Ma) isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Srinitial between 0.705656 and 0.706980 and 143Nd/144Ndinitial between 0.512523 and 0.512598) suggests that these basalts were derived from an enriched mantle (∼EM I-EM II) source. The εSr (21.84-41.27) and εNd (-0.28 to 1.10) isotopic signatures defined by higher εSr and lower εNd fingerprint a plume-related source. Positive and negative values of εNd indicate an isotopically heterogeneous mantle source marked by mixing of depleted (DM) and enriched mantle (EM I-EM II) components at the source region and together with 87Sr/86Srinitial ranging from 0.705656 to 0.706980 suggest two stage contamination of parent magma which is much similar to that of Poladpur, Toranmal, Mhow, Chikaldara flows. Ba/Y versus 87Sr/86Sr and Nb/Y versus Rb/Y variations show an Ambenali-Poladpur contamination trend for the Linga basalts thereby suggesting the role of upper continental granitic crust as the contaminant of these flows through magma-crust interaction during melt migration. The lava flows of Linga are geochemically correlatable with the Poladpur flows of southwestern and Toranmal flows of northern Deccan and show genetic coherence with the basalts of Jabalpur, Seoni, Chakhla-Delakhari of eastern Deccan.

New Insights Into the Genesis and Compositional Evolution of I-type Granitic magmas in the Lachlan Fold Belt (SE Australia) by in situ Hf Isotopic Analysis of Zircon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemp, T. I.; Hawkesworth, C. J.; Hergt, J. M.; Woodhead, J.

2004-05-01

Isotope studies have proved of enormous benefit in fingerprinting the source rocks of silicic magmas and tracing open system petrogenetic processes, such as crustal assimilation or magma mixing. Quantification of these processes, especially the role of mantle-derived magmas, is essential to formulating realistic models for the thermal regime and compositional evolution of the continental crust. However, this remains problematic, since whole-rock isotopic data registers the final state of the magmatic system but gives no information on the pathways by which this state was attained. For example, the eNd - initial 87Sr/86Sr isotopic array defined by the classic I- and S-type granites of the Lachlan Fold Belt has been variously interpreted to reflect (1) mixing between two end-member magmas, one depleted mantle-like, the other evolved and continental crust-like, (2) mixing between a juvenile magma and a magma sourced from mafic lower crust, accompanied by sediment assimilation, (3) derivation of the granites from mixed source rocks and (4) derivation from a sequence of protoliths of various ages and sedimentary maturity. The implications of these possibilities for crustal architecture, and whether granitic magmatism was associated with the recycling or growth of new continental crust are drastically different. One way to now resolve such ambiguities is by unravelling the isotopic information encoded in the fine-scale growth zoning of minerals such as zircon, which potentially tracks the processes operative during crystallisation. To this end we report the first laser-ablation ICP-MS study into the Hf isotope stratigraphy of zircons hosted by LFB I-type granites and their mafic enclaves. This is integrated with a prior U-Pb isotope study and trace element concentrations measured on the same zircons. Two suites were investigated, the Cobargo and Why Worry Suites of the Bega Batholith. Although the bulk rock isotopic variation within these suites is restricted, this study reveals remarkable fluctuations in Hf isotopic ratios recorded within and between melt-precipitated zircons of granitic and enclave samples. This can only be reconciled by open-system behaviour, though contrasting patterns of Hf isotope variation within zoned zircons demonstrate that this differed significantly between the two suites. The Cobargo Suite was generated by mixing between two contrasting magmas, followed by crustal assimilation. Zircons from the Why Worry Suite have more evolved Hf isotope ratios, consistent with recycling of older crust during granitic generation, though increase in eHf towards zircon rims manifests interaction with primitive magmas. Globules of these are represented by mafic enclaves, the mantle heritage of which is preserved by high eHf values of zircon cores, even though whole-rock isotope contrasts with the host have been erased by equilibration. Analysis of inherited zircons contained by the Why Worry Suite establishes that the 450-600 Ma age population have evolved eHf values, and thus meta-igneous rocks of this age are appropriate protoliths for these granites. The primitive eHf values of the Cobargo Suite preclude derivation from similar sources, instead suggesting formation from mantle-derived materials. Incorporating the existing geochemical and isotope datasets, the Hf-in-zircon data will be coupled with recent thermal simulations to erect a general model for granite formation and the evolution of the continental crust during Lachlan orogenesis.

Evidence for an early wet Moon from experimental crystallization of the lunar magma ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yanhao; Tronche, Elodie J.; Steenstra, Edgar S.; van Westrenen, Wim

2017-01-01

The Moon is thought to have been covered initially by a deep magma ocean, its gradual solidification leading to the formation of the plagioclase-rich highland crust. We performed a high-pressure, high-temperature experimental study of lunar mineralogical and geochemical evolution during magma ocean solidification that yields constraints on the presence of water in the earliest lunar interior. In the experiments, a deep layer containing both olivine and pyroxene is formed in the first ~50% of crystallization, β-quartz forms towards the end of crystallization, and the last per cent of magma remaining is extremely iron rich. In dry experiments, plagioclase appears after 68 vol.% solidification and yields a floatation crust with a thickness of ~68 km, far above the observed average of 34-43 km based on lunar gravity. The volume of plagioclase formed during crystallization is significantly less in water-bearing experiments. Using the relationship between magma water content and the resulting crustal thickness in the experiments, and considering uncertainties in initial lunar magma ocean depth, we estimate that the Moon may have contained at least 270 to 1,650 ppm water at the time of magma ocean crystallization, suggesting the Earth-Moon system was water-rich from the start.

Geochemical differentiation processes for arc magma of the Sengan volcanic cluster, Northeastern Japan, constrained from principal component analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueki, Kenta; Iwamori, Hikaru

2017-10-01

In this study, with a view of understanding the structure of high-dimensional geochemical data and discussing the chemical processes at work in the evolution of arc magmas, we employed principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate the compositional variations of volcanic rocks from the Sengan volcanic cluster of the Northeastern Japan Arc. We analyzed the trace element compositions of various arc volcanic rocks, sampled from 17 different volcanoes in a volcanic cluster. The PCA results demonstrated that the first three principal components accounted for 86% of the geochemical variation in the magma of the Sengan region. Based on the relationships between the principal components and the major elements, the mass-balance relationships with respect to the contributions of minerals, the composition of plagioclase phenocrysts, geothermal gradient, and seismic velocity structure in the crust, the first, the second, and the third principal components appear to represent magma mixing, crystallizations of olivine/pyroxene, and crystallizations of plagioclase, respectively. These represented 59%, 20%, and 6%, respectively, of the variance in the entire compositional range, indicating that magma mixing accounted for the largest variance in the geochemical variation of the arc magma. Our result indicated that crustal processes dominate the geochemical variation of magma in the Sengan volcanic cluster.

Late Holocene hydrous mafic magmatism at the Paint Pot Crater and Callahan flows, Medicine Lake Volcano, N. California and the influence of H2O in the generation of silicic magmas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinzler, R.J.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Grove, T.L.

2000-01-01

This paper characterizes late Holocene basalts and basaltic andesites at Medicine Lake volcano that contain high pre-eruptive H2O contents inherited from a subduction related hydrous component in the mantle. The basaltic andesite of Paint Pot Crater and the compositionally zoned basaltic to andesitic lavas of the Callahan flow erupted approximately 1000 14C years Before Present (14C years B.P.). Petrologic, geochemical and isotopic evidence indicates that this late Holocene mafic magmatism was characterized by H2O contents of 3 to 6 wt% H2O and elevated abundances of large ion lithophile elements (LILE). These hydrous mafic inputs contrast with the preceding episodes of mafic magmatism (from 10,600 to ~3000 14C years B.P.) that was characterized by the eruption of primitive high alumina olivine tholeiite (HAOT) with low H2O (< 0.2 wt%), lower LILE abundance and different isotopic characteristics. Thus, the mantle-derived inputs into the Medicine Lake system have not always been low H2O, primitive HAOT, but have alternated between HAOT and hydrous subduction related, calc-alkaline basalt. This influx of hydrous mafic magma coincides temporally and spatially with rhyolite eruption at Glass Mountain and Little Glass Mountain. The rhyolites contain quenched magmatic inclusions similar in character to the mafic lavas at Callahan and Paint Pot Crater. The influence of H2O on fractional crystallization of hydrous mafic magma and melting of pre-existing granite crust beneath the volcano combined to produce the rhyolite. Fractionation under hydrous conditions at upper crustal pressures leads to the early crystallization of Fe-Mg silicates and the suppression of plagioclase as an early crystallizing phase. In addition, H2O lowers the saturation temperature of Fe and Mg silicates, and brings the temperature of oxide crystallization closer to the liquidus. These combined effects generate SiO2-enrichment that leads to rhyodacitic differentiated lavas. In contrast, low H2O HAOT magmas at Medicine Lake differentiate to iron-rich basaltic liquids. When these Fe-enriched basalts mix with melted granitic crust, the result is an andesitic magma. Since mid-Holocene time, mafic volcanism has been dominated primarily by hydrous basaltic andesite and andesite at Medicine Lake Volcano. However, during the late Holocene, H2O-poor mafic magmas continued to be erupted along with hydrous mafic magmas, although in significantly smaller volumes.

Continental crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pakiser, L.C.

1964-01-01

The structure of the Earth’s crust (the outer shell of the earth above the M-discontinuity) has been intensively studied in many places by use of geophysical methods. The velocity of seismic compressional waves in the crust and in the upper mantle varies from place to place in the conterminous United States. The average crust is thick in the eastern two-thirds of the United States, in which the crustal and upper-mantle velocities tend to be high. The average crust is thinner in the western one-third of the United States, in which these velocities tend to be low. The concept of eastern and western superprovinces can be used to classify these differences. Crustal and upper-mantle densities probably vary directly with compressional-wave velocity, leading to the conclusion that isostasy is accomplished by the variation in densities of crustal and upper-mantle rocks as well as in crustal thickness, and that there is no single, generally valid isostatic model. The nature of the M-discontinuity is still speculative.

Geochemical and isotopic studies of syenites from the Yamato Mountains, East Antarctica: Implications for the origin of syenitic magmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, J.-X.; Shiraishi, K.; Ellis, D. J.; Sheraton, J. W.

1995-04-01

Voluminous syenites were intruded during the waning stage of the granulite facies metamorphism in the Yamato Mountains of East Antarctica. The area has been interpreted as part of a Cambrian continental collision zone with regional upper amphibolite to granulite facies metamorphism occurring during ca. 500-660 Ma period. Regardless of minor geochemical variations between different groups, all syenites are characterised by high K 20 + Na 20 (8-12%), K 20/Na 20 (˜2), Sr (800-3500 ppm), Ba (2000-8500 ppm), and comparatively high TiO 2, P 20 5, Zr, and light REES relative to I-type granites. They are significantly higher in Mg number (50-75) compared with typical calc-alkaline suites, igneous charnockites, or A-type granites and define a distinctive trend on an AFM (alkali-FeO tot-MgO) diagram. Their trace element distribution diagrams are characterised by pronounced enrichment in LIL and REES, large negative Nb and Ti anomalies, and no depletion in Sr or Ba relative to the neighbouring elements. In this regard, they closely resemble the ˜500 Ma post-tectonic mela-syenite to alkali basalt dikes widely occurring in East Antarctica. Such geochemical features are distinct from rift- or hotspot-related syenites, which are usually characterised by low K/Na ratios, negative Ba and Sr anomalies, and a lack of negative Nb anomalies. Initial isotopic compositions of the syenites are characterised by relatively low initial ɛNd values (-2.6 to -5.5) and high Sri ratios (0.7057-0.7088). Since the syenites are extremely enriched in Sr and Nd, such isotopic signatures are interpreted as reflecting the nature of the mantle source, rather than significant crystal contamination. Such isotopic signatures are also distinct from those of the rift- or hotspot-related syenites which are thought to be derived from depleted asthenospheric mantle. Considering the distinctive geochemical signatures of the Yamato syenites and their analogy to posttectonic alkaline mafic dikes in Antarctica, it is proposed that the syenites were generated by fractionation and magma mixing (with a crystal melt) of a Si-undersaturated alkali basaltic magma in a lower-crust magma chamber, followed by further crystal fractionation/cumulate-melt unmixing at middle to upper crustal levels (<5 kbars). Tectonically, it is proposed that the syenites were probably formed within the hinterland of the proposed Cambrian continental collision zone, with the parental magma being derived ultimately by partial melting of the metasomatised mantle wedge above the deepest part of the subduction zone. Similar models may also apply to the origin of some post-tectonic alkaline dikes in East Antarctica, with their sources being the continental lithospheric mantle previously modified by subduction-related processes.

Volatile element content of the heterogeneous upper mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, K.; Saal, A. E.; Hauri, E. H.; Forsyth, D. W.; Kamenetsky, V. S.; Niu, Y.

2014-12-01

The physical properties of the asthenosphere (e.g., seismic velocity, viscosity, electrical conductivity) have been attributed to either mineral properties at relevant temperature, pressure, and water content or to the presence of a low melt fraction. We resort to the geochemical studies of MORB to unravel the composition of the asthenosphere. It is important to determine to what extent the geochemical variations in axial MORB do represent a homogeneous mantle composition and variations in the physical conditions of magma generation and transport; or alternatively, they represent mixing of melts from a heterogeneous upper mantle. Lavas from intra-transform faults and off-axis seamounts share a common mantle source with axial MORB, but experience less differentiation and homogenization. Therefore they provide better estimates for the end-member volatile budget of the heterogeneous upper mantle. We present major, trace, and volatile element data (H2O, CO2, Cl, F, S) as well as Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic compositions [1, 2] of basaltic glasses (MgO > 6.0 wt%) from the NEPR seamounts, Quebrada-Discovery-Gofar transform fault system, and Macquarie Island. The samples range from incompatible trace element (ITE) depleted (DMORB: Th/La<0.035) to enriched (EMORB: Th/La>0.07) spanning the entire range of EPR MORB. The isotopic composition of the samples correlates with the degree of trace element enrichment indicating long-lived mantle heterogeneity. Once shallow-level processes (degassing, crystallization, and crustal assimilation) have been considered, we conducted a two-component (DMORB- and EMORB-) mantle melting-mixing model. Our model reproduces the major, trace and volatile element contents and isotopic composition of our samples and suggests that (1) 90% of the upper mantle is highly depleted in ITE (DMORB source) with only 10% of an enriched component (EMORB source), (2) the EMORB source is peridotitic rather than pyroxenitic, and (3) NMORB do not represent an actual mantle source, but the product of magma mixing between D- and E-MORB. Finally we use the volatile to trace element ratios of our samples to estimate the volatile element budget of the end-member components of the upper mantle. [1] Niu, Y. et al. (2002) EPSL, 199, 327-345. [2] Kamenetsky, V. S. et al. (2000) J. Petrology, 41, 411-430.

Crustal structure in the Elko-Carlin Region, Nevada, during Eocene gold mineralization: Ruby-East Humboldt metamorphic core complex as a guide to the deep crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howard, K.A.

2003-01-01

The deep crustal rocks exposed in the Ruby-East Humboldt metamorphic core complex, northeastern Nevada, provide a guide for reconstructing Eocene crustal structure ~50 km to the west near the Carlin trend of gold deposits. The deep crustal rocks, in the footwall of a west-dipping normal-sense shear system, may have underlain the Pinon and Adobe Ranges about 50 km to the west before Tertiary extension, close to or under part of the Carlin trend. Eocene lakes formed on the hanging wall of the fault system during an early phase of extension and may have been linked to a fluid reservoir for hydrothermal circulation. The magnitude and timing of Paleogene extension remain indistinct, but dikes and tilt axes in the upper crust indicate that spreading was east-west to northwest-southeast, perpendicular to a Paleozoic and Mesozoic orogen that the spreading overprinted. High geothermal gradients associated with Eocene or older crustal thinning may have contributed to hydrothermal circulation in the upper crust. Late Eocene eruptions, upper crustal dike intrusion, and gold mineralization approximately coincided temporally with deep intrusion of Eocene sills of granite and quartz diorite and shallower intrusion of the Harrison Pass pluton into the core-complex rocks. Stacked Mesozoic nappes of metamorphosed Paleozoic and Precambrian rocks in the core complex lay at least 13 to 20 km deep in Eocene time, on the basis of geobarometry studies. In the northern part of the complex, the presently exposed rocks had been even deeper in the late Mesozoic, to >30 km depths, before losing part of their cover by Eocene time. Nappes in the core plunge northward beneath the originally thicker Mesozoic tectonic cover in the north part of the core complex. Mesozoic nappes and tectonic wedging likely occupied the thickened midlevel crustal section between the deep crustal core-complex intrusions and nappes and the overlying upper crust. These structures, as well as the subsequent large-displacement Cenozoic extensional faulting and flow in the deep crust, would be expected to blur the expression of any regional structural roots that could correlate with mineral belts. Structural mismatch of the mineralized upper crust and the tectonically complex middle crust suggests that the Carlin trend relates not to subjacent deeply penetrating rooted structures but to favorable upper crustal host rocks aligned within a relatively coherent regional block of upper crust.

Isotopic and trace element constraints on the petrogenesis of lavas from the Mount Adams volcanic field, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jicha, B.R.; Hart, G.L.; Johnson, C.M.; Hildreth, Wes; Beard, B.L.; Shirey, S.B.; Valley, J.W.

2009-01-01

Strontium, Nd, Pb, Hf, Os, and O isotope compositions for 30 Quaternary lava flows from the Mount Adams stratovolcano and its basaltic periphery in the Cascade arc, southern Washington, USA indicate a major component from intraplate mantle sources, a relatively small subduction component, and interaction with young mafic crust at depth. Major- and trace-element patterns for Mount Adams lavas are distinct from the rear-arc Simcoe volcanic field and other nearby volcanic centers in the Cascade arc such as Mount St. Helens. Radiogenic isotope (Sr, Nd, Pb, and Hf) compositions do not correlate with geochemical indicators of slab-fluids such as (Sr/P)n and Ba/Nb. Mass-balance modeling calculations, coupled with trace-element and isotopic data, indicate that although the mantle source for the calc-alkaline Adams basalts has been modified with a fluid derived from subducted sediment, the extent of modification is significantly less than what is documented in the southern Cascades. The isotopic and trace-element compositions of most Mount Adams lavas require the presence of enriched and depleted mantle sources, and based on volume-weighted chemical and isotopic compositions for Mount Adams lavas through time, an intraplate mantle source contributed the major magmatic mass of the system. Generation of basaltic andesites to dacites at Mount Adams occurred by assimilation and fractional crystallization in the lower crust, but wholesale crustal melting did not occur. Most lavas have Tb/Yb ratios that are significantly higher than those of MORB, which is consistent with partial melting of the mantle in the presence of residual garnet. ??18O values for olivine phenocrysts in Mount Adams lavas are within the range of typical upper mantle peridotites, precluding involvement of upper crustal sedimentary material or accreted terrane during magma ascent. The restricted Nd and Hf isotope compositions of Mount Adams lavas indicate that these isotope systems are insensitive to crustal interaction in this juvenile arc, in stark contrast to Os isotopes, which are highly sensitive to interaction with young, mafic material in the lower crust. ?? Springer-Verlag 2008.

Petrological insights on the effusive-explosive transitions of the Nisyros-Yali Volcanic Center, South Aegean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popa, Razvan-Gabriel; Bachmann, Olivier; Ellis, Ben; Degruyter, Wim; Kyriakopoulos, Konstantinos

2017-04-01

Volcanoes erupting silicic, volatile-rich magmas can exhibit both effusive and explosive eruptions, even during closely spaced eruptive episodes. Understanding the effusive-explosive transition is fundamental in order to assess the hazards involved. Magma properties strongly influence the processes during magma ascent that determine the eruptive style. Here, we investigate the link between changing conditions in the magma reservoir and the eruptive style. The Quaternary Nisyros-Yali volcanic center, from the South Aegean Sea, provides an excellent natural laboratory to study this process. Over the last 60-100 kyrs, it produced a series of dacitic to rhyolitic eruptions that emplaced alternating effusive and explosive deposits (with explosive eruptions likely shortly following effusive ones). For this study, nine fresh and well-preserved units (five effusive and four explosive) were sampled and analyzed for whole-rock, groundmass glass and mineral compositions, in order to draw insights into the magma chamber processes and thermodynamic conditions that preceded both types of eruptions. Silicic magmas in Nisyros-Yali record a complex, open-system evolution, dominated by fractionation in mushy reservoirs at mid to upper crustal depths, frequently recharged by warmer input from below. Storage temperatures recorded by the amphibole-plagioclase thermometer span a wide range, and they are always cooler than the pre-eruptive temperatures yielded by Fe-Ti oxide thermometry for the same unit, whether it is effusive or explosive. However, magmas feeding effusive eruptions typically reached cooler conditions (expressed by the presence of low-Al, low-Ti amphiboles) than in the explosive cases. The difference between the pre-eruptive and the lowest storing temperatures in the Nisyros series are in the order of 10-30°C for explosive units, while the difference is of about 40-110°C for the effusive units. The Yali series does not perfectly fit this pattern, where explosive units have also been heated for 50-100°C. During crystallization and storage in subvolcanic magma reservoirs, relatively cold conditions and higher H2O contents would favor volatile saturation, allowing reservoirs to become more compressible. Hence, a higher fraction of magma recharge would be needed to reach the necessary chamber overpressure to trigger an eruption. In turn, this higher fraction of recharge would allow more mixing and heating of the resident silicic magma, lowering melt viscosity. This facilitates the formation of a permeable foam by growth and expansion of the already nucleated gas bubbles, inducing early syn-eruptive degassing in the conduit and favoring effusive outpouring of magma. In contrast, slightly warmer conditions (and/or slightly lower H2O concentrations) in the mush would lead to reservoirs with less exsolved volatiles, hence less compressible. Thus, eruptions would be triggered faster and pre-eruptive warming would be more limited, reducing magma viscosity less than in the previous case. Bubble nucleation would mostly be confined to the conduit with syn-eruptive degassing starting at shallower depths and being less efficient, thus favoring an explosive eruption.

Oxygen isotope geochemistry of the lassen volcanic center, California: Resolving crustal and mantle contributions to continental Arc magmatism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feeley, T.C.; Clynne, M.A.; Winer, G.S.; Grice, W.C.

2008-01-01

This study reports oxygen isotope ratios determined by laser fluorination of mineral separates (mainly plagioclase) from basaltic andesitic to rhyolitic composition volcanic rocks erupted from the Lassen Volcanic Center (LVC), northern California. Plagioclase separates from nearly all rocks have ??18O values (6.1-8.4%) higher than expected for production of the magmas by partial melting of little evolved basaltic lavas erupted in the arc front and back-arc regions of the southernmost Cascades during the late Cenozoic. Most LVC magmas must therefore contain high 18O crustal material. In this regard, the ??18O values of the volcanic rocks show strong spatial patterns, particularly for young rhyodacitic rocks that best represent unmodified partial melts of the continental crust. Rhyodacitic magmas erupted from vents located within 3.5 km of the inferred center of the LVC have consistently lower ??18 O values (average 6.3% ?? 0.1%) at given SiO2 contents relative to rocks erupted from distal vents (>7.0 km; average 7.1% ?? 0.1%). Further, magmas erupted from vents situated at transitional distances have intermediate values and span a larger range (average 6.8% ?? 0.2%). Basaltic andesitic to andesitic composition rocks show similar spatial variations, although as a group the ??18O values of these rocks are more variable and extend to higher values than the rhyodacitic rocks. These features are interpreted to reflect assimilation of heterogeneous lower continental crust by mafic magmas, followed by mixing or mingling with silicic magmas formed by partial melting of initially high 18O continental crust (??? 9.0%) increasingly hybridized by lower ??18O (???6.0%) mantle-derived basaltic magmas toward the center of the system. Mixing calculations using estimated endmember source ??18O values imply that LVC magmas contain on a molar oxygen basis approximately 42 to 4% isotopically heavy continental crust, with proportions declining in a broadly regular fashion toward the 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.

An Andean-type retro-arc foreland system beneath northwest South China revealed by SINOPROBE profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianhua; Dong, Shuwen; Cawood, Peter A.; Zhao, Guochun; Johnston, Stephen T.; Zhang, Yueqiao; Xin, Yujia

2018-05-01

In the Mesozoic, South China was situated along the convergent margin between the Asian and Pacific plates, providing an excellent laboratory to understand the interactions between deformation, sedimentation and magmatism in a retroarc environment. The crustal architecture of northwest South China is displayed along the ∼600-km-long SINOPROBE deep seismic reflection profiles and reveals from east to west: (1) highly folded and truncated reflectors in the upper crust of the Yangtze Fold Zone, which correspond to thin- and thick-skinned thrust systems, and document large-scale intraplate structural imbrication and shortening; (2) a crustal-scale flat-ramp-flat structure, termed the Main Yangtze decollement, which forms a weak, viscous layer to accommodate strain decoupling and material transport in the thin- and thick-skinned systems; and (3) nearly flat-lying reflectors in the Sichuan Basin, which support interpretation of the basin as a weakly deformed depocentre. The Yangtze Fold Zone and the Sichuan Basin represent a retro-arc foreland basin system that is >800 km away from the continental-margin magmatic arc. We suggest that tectonic processes across the arc and retro-arc systems, including arc magma flare-up, basin sedimentation, retroarc thrust propagation, lithosphere underthrusting, root foundering, and extension-related magmatism were interrelated and governed mass transfer. Age data and geological relations link the tectonic processes to evolving geodynamics of the subducting Paleo-Pacific plate.

Large-scale variation in lithospheric structure along and across the Kenya rift

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prodehl, C.; Mechie, J.; Kaminski, W.; Fuchs, K.; Grosse, C.; Hoffmann, H.; Stangl, R.; Stellrecht, R.; Khan, M.A.; Maguire, Peter K.H.; Kirk, W.; Keller, Gordon R.; Githui, A.; Baker, M.; Mooney, W.; Criley, E.; Luetgert, J.; Jacob, B.; Thybo, H.; Demartin, M.; Scarascia, S.; Hirn, A.; Bowman, J.R.; Nyambok, I.; Gaciri, S.; Patel, J.; Dindi, E.; Griffiths, D.H.; King, R.F.; Mussett, A.E.; Braile, L.W.; Thompson, G.; Olsen, K.; Harder, S.; Vees, R.; Gajewski, D.; Schulte, A.; Obel, J.; Mwango, F.; Mukinya, J.; Riaroh, D.

1991-01-01

The Kenya rift is one of the classic examples of a continental rift zone: models for its evolution range from extension of the lithosphere by pure shear1, through extension by simple shear2, to diapiric upwelling of an asthenolith3. Following a pilot study in 19854, the present work involved the shooting of three seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection profiles along the axis, across the margins, and on the northeastern flank of the rift (Fig. 1). These lines were intended to reconcile the different crustal thickness estimates for the northern and southern parts of the rift4-6 and to reveal the structure across the rift, including that beneath the flanks. The data, presented here, reveal significant lateral variations in structure both along and across the rift. The crust thins along the rift axis from 35 km in the south to 20 km in the north; there are abrupt changes in Mono depth and uppermost-mantle seismic velocity across the rift margins, and crustal thickening across the boundary between the Archaean craton and PanAfrican orogenic belt immediately west of the rift. These results suggest that thickened crust may have controlled the rift's location, that there is a decrease in extension from north to south, and that the upper mantle immediately beneath the rift may contain reservoirs of magma generated at greater depth.

Study of crustal structure and stretch mechanism of central continental shelf of northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, J.; Xia, S.; Sun, J.; Wan, K.; Xu, H.

2017-12-01

Known as a significant region to study tectonic relationship between South China block and South China Sea (SCS) block and the evolution of rifted basin in continental margin, the continental shelf of northern SCS documents the evolution from continental splitting to seafloor spreading of SCS. To investigate crustal structure of central continental shelf in northern SCS, two wide-angle onshore-offshore seismic experiments and coincident multi-channel seismic (MCS) profiles were carried out across the onshore-offshore transitional zone in northern SCS, 2010 and 2012. A total of 34 stations consisted of ocean bottom seismometers, portable and permanent land stations were deployed during the survey. The two-dimensional precise crustal structure models of central continental shelf in northern SCS was constructed from onshore to offshore, and the stretching factors along the P-wave velocity models were calculated. The models reveal that South China block is a typical continental crust with a 30-32 km Moho depth, and a localized high-velocity anomaly in middle-lower crust under land area near Hong Kong was imaged, which may reflect magma underplating caused by subduction of paleo-Pacific plate in late Mesozoic. The littoral fault zone is composed of several parallel, high-angle, normal faults that mainly trend northeast to northeast-to-east and dip to the southeast with a large displacement, and the fault is divided into several segments separated by the northwest-trending faults. The shelf zone south of LFZ was consisted of a differential thinning upper and lower continental crust, which indicate stretch thinning of passive continent margin during the Cenozoic spreading of the SCS. The results appear to further confirm that the northern margin of SCS experienced a transition from active margin to passive one during late Mesozoic and Cenozoic.

Understanding the dynamics of magmatic systems - evidence from Long Valley Caldera and Kilauea Volcano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, D. P.; Swanson, D. A.

2001-12-01

Active magmatic processes produce a wide range of signals that are capable of detection at the Earth's surface by modern geophysical and geochemical instrumentation. The most robust of these signals include spatial-temporal patterns of (1) ground deformation spanning a broad spectrum from gradual secular and quasi-static changes to the high-frequency vibrations associated with seismic waves generated by local, brittle-failure earthquakes and (2) magmatic gas emissions of, most notably, SO2 and CO2. The long records of deformation (in this broad sense) and geochemical data accumulated for Kilauea Volcano on the Island of Hawai`i and in Long Valley Caldera in eastern California exemplify the value of spatially and temporally dense monitoring as a basis for understanding the dynamics of magmatic systems. Kilauea's magma conduit, defined by brittle failure and LP earthquakes, has the form of a narrow, straw-like structure extending from within the lithosphere at a depth of >40 km to a magma chamber centered roughly 5 km beneath the summit crater (Halemaumau). This shallow magma chamber, which consists of a plexus of dikes and sills, is capable of feeding eruptions both within the summit caldera and along the east and southwest rift zones. The current eruption from vents along the east rift zone, which began 18 years ago, appears to be gradually draining this summit magma chamber, as Kilauea's summit has been subsiding about 10 cm/yr since the eruption began. This is equivalent to a volume of about 0.01 km3/yr, 10 percent of the eruption rate of 0.1 km3/yr. Most of the gas released by the magma column escapes through the summit caldera as it ascends from the magma chamber toward the summit and thence through conduits to the active vents on the east rift zone. Indeed, the CO2 flux (about 10,000 tones/yr) from the caldera serves as a proxy for magma flux through the conduit system. Dynamic interaction of the active magma conduit with the hydrothermal system beneath the summit crater produces sequences of shallow LP and VLP earthquakes. Two magmatic systems contribute to the 20 years of unrest in Long Valley Caldera: one beneath the resurgent dome in the center of the caldera and the other beneath Mammoth Mountain on the southwest rim of the caldera. Cumulative uplift of the resurgent dome by 80 cm reflects a volume increase of roughly 0.3 km3 in magma to chamber centered at a depth of 7 to 10 km beneath the surface. Recurring swarms of brittle-failure earthquakes in the south moat follow increased inflation rates with the more energetic episodes associated with intrusions of magma or magmatic brine into the brittle crust. The absence of seismicity at depths greater than 10 km beneath the caldera, however, leaves a question mark for the nature of this magmatic system at mid- to lower-crustal depths. The absence of magmatic gas emissions in the vicinity of the resurgent dome and south moat suggests that the volatile components of this magmatic system remain trapped below an impermeable seal. In contrast, a dike-like distribution of deep LP earthquakes overlain by a volume of brittle-failure earthquakes, including several shallow VLP earthquakes, delineate the magmatic system beneath Mammoth Mountain from mid-crustal depths of 30 km to within 3 or 4 km of the surface. This system, which became activated with a six-month-long earthquake swarm and intrusion beneath Mammoth Mountain in 1989, has continued to produce a diffuse efflux of magmatic CO2 at a rate of 200 to 300 tones/day apparently fed by basaltic magma distributed in a plexus of dikes and sills at mid-crustal depths.

Water contents, temperatures and diversity of the magmas of the catastrophic eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, November 13, 1985

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melson, William G.; Allan, James F.; Jerez, Deborah Reid; Nelen, Joseph; Calvache, Marta Lucia; Williams, Stanley N.; Fournelle, John; Perfit, Mike

1990-07-01

The petrology of the highly phyric two-pyroxene andesitic to dacitic pyroclastic rocks of the November 13, 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, reveals evidence of: (1) increasingly fractionated bulk compositions with time; (2) tapping of a small magma chamber marginally zoned in regard to H 2O contents (1 to 4%), temperature (960-1090°C), and amount of residual melt (35 to 65%); (3) partial melting and assimilation of degassed zones in the hotter less dense interior of the magma chamber; (4) probable heating, thermal disruption and mineralogic and compositional contamination of the magma body by basaltic magma "underplating"; and (5) crustal contamination of the magmas during ascent and within the magma chamber. Near-crater fall-back or "spill-over" emitted in the middle of the eruptive sequence produced a small pyroclastic flow that became welded in its central and basal portions because of ponding and thus heat conservation on the flat glaciated summit near the Arenas crater. The heterogeneity of Ruiz magmas may be related to the comparatively small volume (0.03 km 3) of the eruption, nearly ten times less than the 0.2 km 3 of the Plinian phase of Mount St. Helens, and probable steep thermal and PH 2O gradients of a small source magma chamber, estimated at 300 m long and 100 m wide for an assumed ellipsoidal shape.

Packing, Scheduling and Covering Problems in a Game-Theoretic Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlstrom, Leif

Magma transport pathways through Earth's crust span 12--15 orders of magnitude in time and space, with unsteadiness at all scales. However emergent organization of this system is widespread, recorded by spatial loci of volcanism at the surface and large-scale, rapid outpourings of magma throughout the geologic record. This thesis explores several mechanisms for the organization and time evolution of magma transport, from the deep crust to the surface. A primary focus (Chapters 2--5) is the filling, stability and drainage of magma chambers, structures which function both as reservoirs feeding individual volcanic eruptions and as stalling points in the crust where magma accumulates and differentiation occurs. We show that magma chambers may dictate the spatio-temporal organization of magma rising through crust (Chapters 2--3), control the surface eruptive progression of extreme mantle melting events (Chapter 4), and actively set the size of calderas that form during shallow, crystal rich eruptions (Chapter 5). Each of these chapters explores variations on a hypothesis: interactions between magma chamber stresses and the rheology of surrounding crustal materials evolve during magma transport and this unsteady process helps determine the magnitude, location, and timing of surface eruptions. The last part of this thesis (Chapters 6--7) focuses on surface transport processes, the meandering of melt channels on the surface of glaciers and lava flows. We show that the meandering instability is a generic feature of flow over an erodable substrate, despite significantly different fluid characteristics and erosion mechanics.

Magmatic evolution of lunar highland rocks estimated from trace elements in plagioclase: A new bulk silicate Moon model with sub-chondritic Ti/Ba, Sr/Ba, and Sr/Al ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Togashi, Shigeko; Kita, Noriko T.; Tomiya, Akihiko; Morishita, Yuichi

2017-08-01

The compositions of host magmas of ferroan anorthosites (FAN-host magmas) were estimated from secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses of plagioclase in lunar highland rocks. The evolution of the magmas was investigated by considering phase relations based on the MELTS algorithm and by re-examining partition coefficients for trace elements between plagioclase and melts. Data little affected by post-magmatic processes were selected by using plagioclase with relatively primitive Sc and Co contents. The FAN-host magma contained 90-174 ppm Sr, 40-119 ppm Ba and 0.5-1.3% TiO2, and had sub-chondritic Sr/Ba and Ti/Ba ratios. It is difficult to account for the formation of FAN-host magma on the basis of magma evolution processes of previously proposed bulk silicate Moon models with chondritic ratios for refractory elements at global scale. Therefore, the source of the FAN-host magma must have had primordial sub-chondritic Sr/Ba and Ti/Ba ratios. The FAN-host magmas were consistent in refractory elements with the estimated host mafic magma for feldspathic crust based on lunar meteorites, and some very-low-Ti mare rocks from lunar meteorites. Here, we propose an alternative bulk silicate Moon model (the cBSM model), which is enriched in crustal components of proto-bodies relative to the present whole Earth-Moon system.

Magma emplacement in 3D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorczyk, W.; Vogt, K.

2017-12-01

Magma intrusion is a major material transfer process in Earth's continental crust. Yet, the mechanical behavior of the intruding magma and its host are a matter of debate. In this study, we present a series of numerical thermo-mechanical experiments on mafic magma emplacement in 3D.In our model, we place the magmatic source region (40 km diameter) at the base of the mantle lithosphere and connect it to the crust by a 3 km wide channel, which may have evolved at early stages of magmatism during rapid ascent of hot magmatic fluids/melts. Our results demonstrate continental crustal response due to magma intrusion. We observe change in intrusion geometries between dikes, cone-sheets, sills, plutons, ponds, funnels, finger-shaped and stock-like intrusions as well as injection time. The rheology and temperature of the host-rock are the main controlling factors in the transition between these different modes of intrusion. Viscous deformation in the warm and deep crust favours host rock displacement and magma pools along the crust-mantle boundary forming deep-seated plutons or magma ponds in the lower to middle-crust. Brittle deformation in the cool and shallow crust induces cone-shaped fractures in the host rock and enables emplacement of finger- or stock-like intrusions at shallow or intermediate depth. A combination of viscous and brittle deformation forms funnel-shaped intrusions in the middle-crust. Low-density source magma results in T-shaped intrusions in cross-section with magma sheets at the surface.

Ridge Jumps Associated with Plume-Ridge Interaction 1: Off-axis Heating due to Lithospheric Magma Penetration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittelstaedt, E.; Ito, G.

2005-12-01

In many hot spot-ridge systems, changes in the ridge axis geometry occur between the hot spot centers and nearby mid-ocean ridges in the form of ridge jumps. Such ridge jumps likely occur as a result of anomalous lithospheric stresses associated with mantle plume-lithosphere interaction, as well as weakening of the hot spot lithosphere due to physical and thermal thinning caused by rising buoyant asthenosphere and magma transport through the lithosphere. In this study, we use numerical models to quantify the effects of excess magmatism through the near-ridge lithosphere. Hot spot magmatism can weaken the lithosphere both mechanically through fracturing and thermally through conduction and advection of heat into the plate. Here we focus on the effects of thermal weakening. Using a plane-strain approximation, we examine deformation in a 2-D cross section of a visco-elastic-plastic lithosphere with the finite element code FLAC. The model has isothermal top and bottom boundaries and a prescribed velocity equal to the half spreading rate is imposed on the sides to drive seafloor spreading. The initial condition, as predicted for normal mid-ocean ridges, is a square root of lithospheric age cooling curve with a corner flow velocity field symmetric about the ridge axis. A range of heat inputs are introduced at various plate ages and spreading rates to simulate off-axis magma transport. To reveal the physical conditions that allow for a ridge jump and control its timing, we vary 4 parameters: spreading rate, lithospheric age, crustal thickness and heat input. Results indicate that the heating rate required to produce a ridge jump increases as a function of lithospheric age at the location of magma intrusion. The time necessary for a ridge jump to develop in lithosphere of a particular age decreases with increasing crustal thicknesses. For magma fluxes comparable to those estimated for Galapagos and Iceland, lithospheric heating by the penetrating magma alone is sufficient to cause a ridge jump, even without the other effects.

Possible Time Dependent Deformation over Socorro Magma Body from GPS and InSAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havazli, E.; Wdowinski, S.; Amelug, F.

2015-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB) is one of the largest, currently active magma intrusions in the Earth's continental crust. The area of Socorro is a segment of the Rio Grande Rift that display a broad seismic anomaly and ground deformation. The seismic reflector is imaged at 19 km depth coinciding with the occurrence of numerous small earthquake swarms. Broad crustal uplift was also observed above this reflector and led to the hypothesis of the presence of a large mid-crustal sill-like magma body. Previous geodetic studies over the area reveal ground deformation at the rate of 2-3 mm/yr from 1992 to 2006. The magma body was modeled as a penny-shaped crack of 21 km radius at 19 km depth based on InSAR results [Finnegan et. al., 2009]. In this study we expand the uplift measurement period over the SMB to two decades by using additional InSAR and GPS observations. We extended the InSAR observation record by analyzing 27 Envisat scenes acquired during the years 2006-2010. Continuous GPS observation acquired by the SC01 station since 2001 and three more recent Plate Boundary Observatory stations, which were installed between 2005 and 2011, provide high temporal record of uplift over the past decade and a half. We analyzed the InSAR data using ROI_PAC software package and calculated the temporal evolution of the vertical displacement using time series analysis. Preliminary results of 2006-2010 Envisat data show no significant deformation above the 1-2 mm noise level, which disagree with the previous ERS-1/2 results; 2-3 mm/yr during 1992-2006. This disagreement suggests a time dependent uplift of the SMB, which is also supported by GPS observations. The average uplift rate of the SC01 station is 0.9±0.02 mm/yr for 2001-2015 and 0.6±0.08 mm/yr for 2006-2010. Furthermore the SC01 time series exhibits episodic uplift events. The observed time dependent uplift suggests that magma supply in the middle crust may also occur episodically, as in shallow magmatic systems.